Making Time
by Serenity984
Summary: Sometimes you find your friends slipping away from you and you need to track them down and reel them back in before life gets in the way. This story is about that, how Tai tries to reunite his friends together before they are hit with adulthood.
1. Default Chapter

Before you start to read, understand that I am a terrible spelling and I lack the patienance to go back over my story. I have a habit of letting my mind work faster then my hands can type. Please keep that in mind as you read...

Ever had one of those nights where you laid on your bed and you can feel the tension's weight actually lift off your body? Your body then sinks into the mattress, into the warmth of the covers and your whole body relaxes. You are almost in the brick of the sleeping sensation when you here you are mother's voice pierce into that heavenly darkness.

"Tai, telephone," I heard my mother yell at me through the door.

"Got it, thanks!" I yelled back, slowly lifting myself off the bed and glancing at the clock. Pass twelve, why was I getting a phone call pass twelve. Mom and dad are really going to be pissed at me and it's not even my fault! "Hello?" I asked, "Hello!" I said more loudly after I received no answer from the first greeting.

"Tai?" the voice sounded a bit hoarse can confused from the other line.

"Yep, it's the number you called. I hope it's good because I was almost sleeping, do you know how it feels to be almost sleeping!" I asked.

"I didn't know who else to call," the voice mumbled.

"Matt?" I frowned, looking at the clock again, "You okay?"

"I can't find my keys Tai…" Matt sounded confused that time, "I left them over there but there not there." Of course, we are on the phone so I am not sure where "there" is exactly but I started to catch on.

"Matt, where are you?" I asked, putting my shoes on as I spoke to him, "Where is your cell phone?"

"I have a phone." Matt stated as realizing it for the first time, "Where is it?"

"I don't know…" I gave a deep sigh. "Where are you at?"

"Um…Where am I at?" I looked at the phone then shook my head as I heard another voice on the other end. "I am at 32 Siloam Road," the pronunciation of his two has begun to slur a little.

"Okay, I'm coming but you need to stay put," I told him. "Stay there!" I repeated and headed for the door.

"That's exactly what I told me keys!" Matt laughed on the other end.

"What's going on?" My mother stood by her bedroom door.

"I think Matt is at a party and a friend of his took his keys. He needs a lift," I shrugged my shoulders.

"Do you want me to get your father up?" She asked. "He could drive one car and you the other."

"Um," I looked at the door, there was going to be a lecture somewhere on the drive to pick up Matt, "I hate to get him up when he's sleeping and I don't know if Matt will stay there or not. I really need to hurry."

"I'm already up," My father came out from his room buttoning up his shirt, "that phone call woke me up and your mother wanted me to get him if you didn't."

"Oh," What else could I say? "Well…um."

"Where is he at?" My father asked as he grabbed his set of the keys. I told him as we were walking out the door and right on cue, he went on in one of his lectures about drinking. Which I don't understand why, I was not the one drinking, it was Matt and he called for someone to pick him up! Doesn't that show some kind of responsibility!

Finally, we reached house 32, which clearly had an out of control party dwelling at the home, and I know my father pitied the parent s that are unaware of the condition that their home is in.

"Please, stay here." I begged my father. There might be some of my other friends in there as well. I could not let them see me with my dad; I would never live it down! I walked pass half-naked people, a few necking and a few half stone I am sure they were unable to identify whom they were if asked. When I reached for the door, it flew open before I even had a chance to turn the handle. Some huge kid came barrelling out, covering his mouth and holding his stomach. I hurried to get out of his wayas he barely made it to the bushes before he started to puke up the contents in his stomach. The aroma was too much to bare so I rushed into the house. With music blaring loud enough to feel vibrations through the floor, Ididn't evenbother to try and ask anyone if they had seen Matt but I merely went on my way in search for my friend. It tooka few closet searching, strolling around the pool, bathroom invasions, bedroom peeking before I found him in a room with a girl I never seen before and I am sure he had no idea who she was. They were just starting to get in to their making out session when I interrupted them.She didn't even try to cover herself up, but boldly stuck out those perfect breast of hers. Her shirt somehow was drapped up on the ceiling fan that slowly moved, casting a weird shadow on the floor.

"Hate to do this but I'm here to collect Matt," I told the red head girl, she looked a little like Sora.

"But his' mine for tonight…" the girl pouted which I would have loved to fall for but the burp that escaped her mouth ruined it for me.

"Maybe next time," I told her as she sat on the bed, covering her mouth. I helped Matt off the bed. He mumbled something I did not understand but he was able to stumble out the door with me pushing against the middle of his back, his shoes in my other hand.

"Here's his keys," A black hair girl gave me Matt's car keys. I glanced upat the depressed gothic girl and could tell straight away that she wasn't enjoying the party.

"Long night?" I asked her, stuffing his keys into my pocket.

"You could say that," She gave a nod as she looked around the trashed out house.

"I take it this is your home?"

"Is until my parents come home and finds all of this, then I'll be looking for a new place! They are going to kick me out fur sure!" She started to cry. I wanted to comfort her but I didn't want to be stuck cleaning out a bathroom with a backed up toilet, after all, she got herself into this mess. Besides, how long would the party last, it was nearly daylight now...and I really needed to get Matt home.

"I'm sure they will understand, after all they were young once too! " I try to look at the bright side of everything.

"Hardly. I think they were born at the age of forty!" the girl sniffled, wiping away her tears.

"Lindsay," Matt leaned against her drunkenly, "I think Sam is pissing behind the sofa!"

"You think?" I looked at Matt and then at the kid he was pointing. It was obvious! The kid had his pants down around his angles, his dick in hand.

"I'm so dead!" Lindsay started whimpering

"It looks like your parents need to remodel anyhow," I looked around, "Some of this stuff is older then my grandmother." About that time, we heard a vase crash.

"Sorry!" Some kid yelled, "I thought I could catch that one…" another crash, "I really thought I could catch that one too!"

"Some of this is my grandmothers!" Lindsay started wailing, "I hate all of you!" Clearly, I wasn't making things any better so I collected Matt and took him outside. I almost tripped going down the walkway, remember that kid that had threw up behind the bushes? He decided to take a nap in the middle of the sidewalk which made walking for Matt even more difucult.

Dad helped me load my friend into his car, not wanting him to puke in our car. "I'll just stay over at his place," I told my father, "I don't' think his dad is home."

"Are you going to be alright?"

"Sure, Matt's only drunk." I gave a shrug. "I'll call if I need you. It might be late afternoon before I get home."

"He's lucky," my father looked at me then rubbed my head, "Not many people have a friend like you."

"It's hard to believe in the state he's in, but he's a pretty good friend to have around too." I shrugged.

"Well, I'm proud of you. I've done things wrong in raising you and I have doubted myself but some how you managed to turn out better then I had image." My dad slapped me on the back before getting into his car. "Call me if you need anything at all."

"Sure thing." I had to smile. He was proud of me! I felt like the greatest person in the world just then.

"I think you ought to lose a few pounds buddy," I grunted as Matt carelessly stumbled and bumped into me almost knocking me down.

"I'm fat!" Matt looked down at his flat stomach. I forgot how much he and Mimi cared about their appearances.

"Relax, you look fine," I lied. He looked like hell! Not only because of the effect of the alcohol but he looked as he hadn't slept for days.

"I can't find my keys," Matt looked confused and started to turn his pockets inside out.

"I've got them," I held them before my friend. "I have your shoes too."

"You have my shoes?" Matt looked down at his feet and for some odd reason, he started to laugh, "MY SHOES!"

"Shhh…you'll wake up your neighbours!" I started to look around wondering who was spying on us as Matt tried to plunged the key into the hole.

"Need a bit of help there?" I asked, really I was getting impatient; I was tired and cranky by now. I could have been having the best dream of my life for all I knew but instead I'm waiting outside my best friend's apartment door as he unsuccessfully tried to unlock the damn door.

"I've got it.." Matt muttered in his new slurred language. He grabbed both hands around the key to steady himself and fell against the door, the key slipped inside the whole easy enough and with a click, it became unlock. That only took five minutes!

"It only takes a turn of the hand to unlock a door Matt. No need in throwing your whole body into it." Matt only stared at me in confusion as the door creaked open. I pulled Matt into his apartment, "Is your dad home?" I asked, not really waiting for a reply, I just started to look around.

"Don't know," Matt laid on the floor. "I just got home."

"What are you doing?" I glanced down at the blonde head boy at my feet.

"What does it look like?" Matt asked, "I am going to go to sleep."

"You can't sleep on the floor." I tugged Matt up.

"What's wrong with the floor?" Matt asked as I pushed and pulled him to his bedroom. "It's clean!"

"If your dad isn't home yet, he'll trip over you." I told him.

"DAD YOU HOME!" Matt yelled and waited for a moment, "Hey Tai…"

"Hmmmm?"

"I don't think dad is home."

"You don't say!" I pushed Matt onto the bed.

"You know what Tai."

"What's that Matt?" I gave a deep sigh. I didn't realise how tired I was until I saw his clock and it's bright red numbers beside his bed. I could not wait to go to bed; even I would sleep on the floor right about now! Getting some sleep would be better then none at all.

"Caterpillars are lucky," Matt told me.

It took me a moment to realize what he had said and that he was serious, which made me smile, "And how are they lucky? Birds eat them and people step on them!"

"Yea but if they survive all that, then they built a little tiny cocoon," Matt held up his thumb and forefinger to illustrate how tiny, "This big and then they change and do you know what they change into?"

"Um..I'm just guessing here but I have to go with butterflies?" I scratched the back of my head and found a set on the chair next to Matt's bed.

"No more caterpillars. They change completely. Wouldn't it be cool to change completely and start all over again?" Matt sighed.

I glanced over at him with a serious look. "Do you wish you were someone else?"

"Don't you?" Matt asked.

"Well…yeah I guess so." I frowned and looked down at the top of my shoes. "I guess a lot of people wish they were someone else until they become that person. I know there are times in my life that I wish I could wipe the slate clean and start all over again."

"You know what else?" Matt asked.

"What's that?" I watched Matt unbutton his shirt and give it a toss to the far corner of the room.

"My room is spinning really fast," Matt laughed and pointed to a nail hook in his wall. "See the lady bug move!"

"That's not a lady bug, Matt."

"Then kill it!" Matt's blue eyes grew larger.

"It's a nail!" I told him. "Just a nail."Then I looked back down at Matt who slowly started to close his eyes, "Good night." I said softly and stood up to leave when Matt's cell phone went off.

"Damn it!He just started to go to sleep!" I shouted to his phone that was somewhere in the room, I tooka quick glanceat Matt only to find him searching for the ringing phone with his eyes close. I pushed myself off the chair and started to search around the room for the phone.

"Here phonie phone..." Matt slurred his words together as the phone kept on rining. "Ello?" Matt had picked up the alarm clock and started to speak to it.

"That's not your phone," I told him as I kept searching.

"I can't hear you!" Matt said softly still talking to the alarm clock. "The phone is ticking…you have to speak up!"

"It's not going to answer you,'" I warned him. "I found it!" I held up Matt's phone.

"Damn thing never works," Matt muttered and gave his alarm clock a toss that knocked me in the head.

"OW! God damn it Matt!" I rubbed his head, "If you weren't drunk I'd push you out the window! Hello! "I said sharply into the phone. "Do you know how late it is? Why would you be calling this early in the morning? Haven't you ever heard of people sleeping?" So I was being a bit rude but damn it, my head hurt! I know I'm going to be bruising in the morning..

"Gee's sorry I woke you up." A girl's voice said from the other line.

"Sora?" I frown, "Why aren't you sleeping?"

"Why do you have Matt's phone?"

"Because he's was using the alarm clock," I simple shrugged.

"What?"

"It's a long story."

"Oh," Sora was silent on the other end, "Well…did Matt make it home okay?"

"Yeah he gave me a call." I told her and sat down at the foot end of Matt's bed. "How did you know…"

"He left a message on my phone but I couldn't call him back at the moment."

"How comes?" I asked, "I thought your mom didn't mind you talking to us at work."

"Oh it wasn't her fault, it was mine. I left the phone in the car…along with the keys."

"Oi, but that burnt!" I had to laugh just seeing Sora peering into her car as the keys lay on the seat. It wouldn't be funny if she had not done it five times this month alone. All her friends carry an extra set just for her.

"I suppose you could say that." Sora sighed, "So how is he?"

"Passed out," I scratched my head again, not that I have lice or any other kind of parasite but when I'm feeling uncomfortable, I seem to scratch the back of my head. Like Sora when she tugs at her hair and Matt when he glares…well okay, he does that all the time.

"It was really good of you to get him and bring him home." Sora told me.

"I feel good about it too, as long as he doesn't puke and I have to clean up the mess… I will feel differently about this whole situation if it comes down to that!"

"Do you want me to come over?" Sora asked.

"No," I sighed, "He's resting now."

"Oh." Sora was silent on the other end of the phone. I could just vision her wrapping the telephone cord around her fingers, "Well, I guess good night."

"Yeah, night Sora." I said softly. "Hey Sora!"

"Yeah Tai?" Sora asked just as softly.

"Why don't we talk anymore? I mean really talk like we use too?"

"I don't know. I guess we kind of drifted apart." Sora whispered, "It's not just you and me either. God I have no idea when the last time I actually spoke to Mimi. We always instant mail each other. Joe I haven't even done that with."

"We should get together. I don't know, do something instead of just waiting for everyone to become strangers."

"For some of us, I think we are already strangers, Tai." Sora told me, "It's a great idea but it's been talked about before and so far…nothing changed."

"Yeah but this time it's MY idea."

"Oh, well then that settles it!" Sora laughed softly.

"Sora?" I leaned an arm on my knee.

"Hmmm?"

"It's nice to hear you laugh again," It has been longer then I thought, but to hear that laughter echoing in the phone made my night. "I can see you tug the little strain of hair near you neck."

Sora put her hand down and blushed, "I'm not Tai…"

"Good night Sora," I smiled, "Don't worry WE all will get together again. You'll see."

"If you say so," Sora shrugged her shoulders. Until there is a plan, she wasn't getting her hopes up," Tai?"

"Huh?"

"Would you give Matt a kiss for me?"

"HA! Would you like to see me with two black eyes?"

"Well how about telling him I checked up on him," Sora laughed just imaging Tai giving her boyfriend a kiss.

"Sure, I'll send your love his way." I smiled and looked down at the sleeping boy.

"Night Tai."

"Night again Sora." I said slowly before turning off the phone and laying it on the dresser's top. I gave another glance at Matt and my thoughts drifted back the party when I barged in on Matt and that girl. I doubt Matt would even remember her or remember that he was kissing her, but still I couldn't help the feeling of placing that pillow on Matt's face to suffocate him. He shouldn't be getting himself in those kinds of situations. He was dating my best friend after all. I don't know what I would do if they broke up. I hope they realise how tough this relationship is on me and thought about it before they started to date. "You're a lucky man, Matt. I hope you start realising it." I gave a deep sigh and made my way to Matt's couch.

"Time to get up Blondie!" I screamed three inches from Matt's face. He gave one of his cavemen grunts and turned onto his stomach. "Wake up sleeping beauty!" that time I felt a sharp sting against my jaw. I stood straight and touched my tender jaw. "You Fucker!" I muttered, I couldn't believe he punched me! There is another bruise to add to my face. I went out of his room and the other room Tk stayed when he was over. After a few minutes of searching, I found what I wanted and raced back to my friend's side. "WAKE UP!" and pulled the trigger of the blow horn.

An awful noise ascended out of the funnel mouth of the horn and echoed into Matt's ear. He sat straight up and gave me the worse stare I had even seen.

"I'm going to kill you!" Matt threw the covers off and jumped out of the bed. I was ready to take off but when I was at the doorway when I notice Matt was holding the bedpost. "I'm going to be sick…" he grumbled and pushed passed me to the bathroom.

"You want any eggs with that!" I yelled after him.

"Leave me alone!" Matt after a few gagging noises were made.

"They are freshly cracked open. Still snotty so if you like them scrampled..better let me know before I fry them!" I called to him. That comment started another gagging secession. I smiled and made my way to the small table with my breakfast, even though it was pass 1:00 in the afternoon. I just woke up twenty minutes ago. I picked my fork up and dug into the hot eggs when I noticed a letter on the table. I glanced at the bathroom; sure Matt was not coming out anytime soon, flipped over the paper and started to read. So you could say that I am a nosy person however, I like to look at it as knowing what is going on in my friend's life. Besides, if it were private, why would he leave it on the table where just anyone could break into his house and read the note?

"Dear Matt," Oh, I thought, it was a fan letter. I remember he would often share them with a few of us and we would all laugh and make wise cracks about it. As the year went by, like everything else, it grew old and he stopped bring them alone and for the most part, we stopped asking him too. I continued to feed my face while I skimmed over the letter, to me that was all it was…just a letter. I flipped it over once to see if anything was on the back, nothing. . A simple "You are a dream, love you, want to have your baby" letter Matt had gotten before. I shrugged and looked down at my eggs.

"What are you doing?" Matt asked me, taking the letter out of my hands. I looked up, a fork load of eggs near my lips. He had just taken a shower and his hair dripped yet but he looked fresh and smelt a hell of a lot better.

"Don't' know what you call it but I call this a feast!" I smiled at the eggs, which only won me a confused look from Matt.

"Not! Why are you reading my letter?" he asked me.

"Because it was there.." I simple said, "What difference does it make? I read them before and that's no different then any of the other millions." I studied Matt's face but I couldn't read anything. He always had a hard time showing his feelings and it is hard to understand what he is thinking. To be honest, I don't even know what keeps us together as friends. We are so much different from each other. I am cheerful, he is moody. I'm not the sharpest tool in the shed, he's intelligent. I love to shout and be heard, he would rather be quiet and overlooked.

"Sorry," Matt just shook his head and put the letter in the drawer. "Um…" he looked at the eggs, I smiled and held up a forkful towards him. "I'll be back…," he muttered and I heard the bathroom door shut as he started to the gagging noise again.

"That is what happens when you drink way too much!" I shouted and gobbled up my eggs before he came back out.

"Has Dad been home?" He asked coming out of the bathroom again.

"Not that I'm aware of," I shrugged. "Is he gone like this a lot?"

"Yeah, lately." Matt shrugged, "He has a new girlfriend he's been seeing."

"Who?" I asked with a smile.

"Your mom," Matt said with a serious look.

"That's not funny Matt," I glared. My parents went through this argument for a month where my father actually accused my mom of cheating on him. I thought for sure it was leading up to a divorce and I remember going to Matt's house a lot while I just talked, ranted, cried and kicked the wall. All that time, he listen, didn't say anything but listen and that was more then I could have asked for. He did not judge my parents or me; he just let me be angry.

"Sorry, I couldn't help it." Matt sat down across from me frowning into his coffee mug.

"So who is he dating?"

"I don't know. He hadn't told me.," he simple said.

"Maybe you have to ask."

"He'll tell me if he wants me to know." Matt gave me on of his "drop it" looks. We were quiet for a while, which is another difference between him. I fear the silent, Matt craves it.

"Hey Matt," I nudged his leg with my shoe, "Lets go camping."

"Camping? Just like that?" Matt frowned, "I have band and tours."

"I want to go camping!" I told him sternly, "I want you to come and I want Sora to be there, Izzy too and his damn computer, Joe and all of those books…you can even bring your bullet head brother too."

"Tai, you can't just drop everything for the moment." Matt looked over at me.

"Why not? We are still kids Matt. Why can't we drop what we are doing and live for the moment?" I asked.

"Because the moment is already pass Tai. We might be kids but we are on the verge of adulthood too. We have responsibility."

"Make time for me Matt." I told him. "I make time for you. I drop everything when one of you need me. I need to go camping and I need my friends with me."

"Why now? Why all the sudden?"

I thought for a moment, trying to get my words together, "I'm afraid of losing you all."

"To what?"

"To life. To growing up. To adulthood." I shrugged. "I want another carefree day with all my friends." I looked straight into those ocean blue eyes, "Make time for me Matt."


	2. Friendship

The whole reason we are not close is that we are so different. If it were not for that one day at camp, we would never have even hung out together. Well, Sora and I would have crossed path because of our soccer games but that is it. Tk is a kid, excessively young for me to interact with not only that but he is in a different school. I would not have even seen him when I picked up Kari. Then there is Izzy, a person who can sit down and listen to what you have to say and help find a solution or reason everything out. Where would I have meant Izzy? Maybe he would have to tutor me but that is as far as it went. Now Mimi on the other hand, I would had notice her but it doesn't mean I would had been friends with her. It was hard not notice a girl who wore pink all the time and had a bigger mouth then me! I can't picture myself ever catching up with Joe, not even in the nurse's office and Matt, maybe I would meet his fist somewhere but him and me would had never been friends! Nope, it's all because of that day during camp when we all had no choice but to recognise that others.

Now we are drifting apart for all the reasons we would never had known each other and it's my job as the leader to pull them all together again. Camping is the best way! No television, no phone calls, no visitors, just Mother Nature and us. We will be force to reunite! If anything, the others would to plot my death.

The problem is how to I get them all together. That is when I had to go to the problem solver in our group, my man Izzy.

"Before I help you, I hope you realise that I am not going unless I can take my computer." Izzy swung around in his swivel chair his ass is continuing glued on.

"I know you'll sneak your computer alone just as I will my soccer ball and Matt a music instrument and Joe a book and…"

"I get it." Izzy held up his hand and turned back to his computer.

"So I need help."

"With what?" Izzy asked as he franticly typed on the keyboard. Normally I would ask people what they were doing but not with Izzy. It's not as if he would not tell me; he would followed by the reason, cause and how monocles and neutrinos work.

"How to get them all together!" I flopped down on his well-made bed and flipped through a magazine he had on his nightstand.

"What reason would everyone have to be there?" Izzy asked, still not turning around to talk to me.

"I don't know," I shrugged; the magazine was filled with computer words I didn't understand. "I figured us being friends were enough? I figured wrong I guess. Tk is busy keeping an eye on Davis and Kari, Davis is busy keeping an eye on Tk and Kari. Kari is busy avoiding Tk and Davis. Mimi has her camera shoots, Matt his band, Sora her tennis matches, Joe his studies and you and your computer."

"We can't help it that we have other lives that don't evolve around you," that time Izzy turned around.

"I didn't say…"

"You didn't have too," Izzy cut me off. "All through the dig world, you were our focus. You got us through it all. Now we don't need you to lead and it bugs you."

"No it doesn't." I defended myself but to be honest, I don't think even I convinced myself with that denial.

"It doesn't matter," Izzy turned again to his beloved computer. "You are right that friendship is the whole reason we would get together."

"I am? Then why isn't everyone willing to job in?"

"Because friendship is thick-headed," Izzy sighed. "You lead us but if it wasn't for friendship, you would have no one to lead us. Sora loves us all, but if wasn't for friendship she would understand how to keep us together. Same with Tk and his hope. What would he hope for if he didn't have friends?"

"And Matt is the bearer of friendship," I sighed, "He doesn't want to go!"

"That's why no one else is going." Izzy smiled, "But if you get him together, you'll lead everyone else there."

"How?"

"I don't know, you're our leader." Izzy gave me a shrug. I rolled my eyes and lay down on Izzy's bed as he hammered away on his computer.

"What if everyone thinks Matt is going?" I asked a few minutes later.

"Then Tk would most likely go and of course Sora would go also." Izzy told me.

"If I go, Kari would go too which means Tk and Kari would both be there…"

"And Davis would go." Izzy turned to face me.

"Jun most likely would come; her parents would want Davis by himself."

"And Mimi would show up because she knows how much Sora hates Jun and Jun loves Matt. She would have to be there to support her friend." Izzy's smiled.

"Which would cause Joe to show because the cat fight would need someone to bandage everyone up?" I grinned, "and you would go.''

"Just to watch it all," Izzy nodded.

"So I tell everyone Matt is going!" I sat up, "Thanks!"

"Wait, you still have to get Matt to go."

"That's no problem." I reached for the door, "I just have to figure out when we are all going camping!"


	3. The kidnapping

Thanks to everyone who read my story. Sorry its long in the making between chapters.

* * *

At first, it was only a few splattered sprinkles on the windshield. Just enough to be ignoring because the wipes didn't go that slow. I would wait until the windshield was filled with little glisten droplets, and then swoosh the wipers on. That was eight miles back, now it is a downpour and I am really working my wiping blades now. I usually have the music turned up loud until I can feel the beat under my feet as I drove when I am alone. Tonight I was not alone, tonight I had a passenger. Although I mind as well be alone since he was sleeping in the back seat. Instead of listening to my favourite song of the month, I choose to listen to the putter platter of the rain bouncing off the roof. I rolled down my window; I love it as it splash on my face, the rusty smell of the rain. Its fresh, it is clean, it's what camping is all about.

Yeah, well that was the first hour. Now it's three hours of driving in the rain, the fog and I am tired. However, I am almost there. Where is there? It's where everyone else is! Waiting for us. I have planned this trip and anyone who doesn't show up better hope they are dead or I will find them, I will hunt them down and I'll make sure they wish they had been murder. I will not let them get away with not showing up! I need my friends to gather around me. I feel as though I am losing connections with them. Just because our paths are leading else where, doesn't mean they can't cross each other once in awhile. Right?

"Are we there yet?" my passenger mumbled in his sleep.

"Not yet, Blondie." I looked up at my review mirror to watch my friend show some kind of life. He sat up, rubbed his brilliant blue eyes then caught my own eyes in the mirror reflections.

"Hey Tai?"

"What's up?" I asked.

"This is not the way to my house," The boy looked out the window and started to shake his head. "I think you missed a turn."

"You think so?" I asked innocently.

"Yeah I do…you know what else?"

"Huh?"

"I think you should had release it when we started to run into so many trees!" Matt hissed.

"Well, its been raining and the fog…the dark…" I trailed off.

"You kidnapped me!" Matt's eyes grew large.

"Not really! I mean, you may act childish but I can't really say you fit the bill as being a kid!" I said was sweetly as I could.

"Pull over."

"Not in this life time buddy," I shook my head. I smiled, glancing up at the mirror at the boy in the back seat. I slammed on my breaks, "Hell no! Not in my car!" I raced out of my car to help Matt out of his side so he could be sick in the bushes. Waiting, looking up at the sky and letting the rain-wash down my face I took a deep breath, Matt hacked behind my back. "Can you smell that Matt?" More gagging noises, "You know what that is?"

"Puke?" Matt muttered, then cough some more.

"I call it freedom."

"You can call it freedom if you want but it's advertised at a Happy Meal." Matt mumbled, I'm guessing he was addressing his lunch that is now on the ground.

"Happy meals and Happy hours don't mix my friend!" I spun around on my heels and titled my head. "Are you going to be okay?"

"I need to go home Tai," Matt sighed, wiping his mouth on his sleeve.

"Why?"

"I have things I have to do!" Matt told me, "Don't think I don't know where you are taking me! I told you I didn't have time for a damn camping trip!"

"I told you to make time for one!"

"I can't do this stuff on whim!"

"Why not? You're the man!" I used his old phrase.

"Tai," Matt leaned against my car, as me, he was completely soaked. He put his hands over his face and took some deep breaths.

"Can't you feel it? You love camping, smell the forest! If you listen, you can hear the river! Hell, you can smell the water! Matt, this is what you need! This is what we all need!"

"Just because you want something doesn't mean we need it Tai!" Matt shouted at me but at least he winced.

"Who's the leader? Is it you?"

"Tai, you can't take that route!"

"Why not? I had your dad cancel everything for two weeks…." I walked around the other side of the car, out of his reach.

"YOU WHAT!" Matt spun towards me, a little too fast for someone with a hang over. He held on my car for dear life.

"I told your dad to cancel. You're wrong if you don't think he knows what kind of life you are living, what kind of life you are heading for."

"What are you talking about?"

"This is your fourth time drunk this week alone!"

"I have to make an appearance at these parties, Tai." Matt rolled his head.

"You don't have to drink!" I watched him shake his head, "I'm not trying to be a saint. I am not saying you can't drink, I do it too when I'm at a party but Matt, four days in one week where you passed out. Four days this week where I had to go and pick you up and put you to bed. Do you know how many times I saved you from bedding some groupie? You don't want to lose Sora do you? I'm your friend and I will gladly pick you up when ever you call but I'll be damn if I can't try and do something about it!"

"There is more to it then you think you understand!" Matt turned on me.

"Maybe, maybe not….two weeks Matt. What is going to happen in two weeks?" I asked.

Did I tell you how much I hated silence and Matt could give anyone a silent treatment that last for years. It took him four years just to say hi to his mum! It was a shaky plan…I mean I knew he would get drunk on Friday night. I had everyone meet at the campsite that day, told them that Matt and I would be late. So I forgot to tell them that I planned to kidnap him. How else would they all show up? I suspect it to be nasty for a while but he will thank me for this later. They all will thank me for this….


	4. Start of a new day

I love my friends, I really do. Just at some point of the day, I would like to kill them. Why can't they see that I am doing this for them? I want to be together again as we were in the past. Yes I know about the saying "You'll never have a greater friends then the ones you had at ten." It's all good but I still have those friends and I know I can get us together again. It would be so much easier if they would just help a little….

"I can't believe you invited her!" That would be my dearest, closes, friend I ever have. She is smart, she's mature, she's level headed…as long as Jun is not around.

"I had too. I invited Davis and he is a DD," I told her scooping up some of my eggs that I was trying to enjoy as breakfast.

"The only reason she is even here is because…" She was pacing back and forth, throwing her arms up in the air and making weird faces. A few time she had stopped, shouted something at me and pointed to the second level floor where I assume Jun still slept. "Are you even listening to me?" I have this special talent to refocus on what she was saying once she used that phrase.

"Of course I am!" I told her. White lies never hurt anyone and I had heard this all before. My main concern now is trying to locate that eggshell I keep crunching on. It is in there somewhere and I'd be damn if I was going to swallow it.

"Then what are you going to do about it!" She had me there. I had no idea what I was going to do about whatever she might have assumed I would do something about!

"Um…This is a touché subject Sor. I think that in time you'll…" I started off. I mean, didn't it sound safe?

"I KNEW IT!" Did I fail to mention that Sora, when pushed and pushed to her limit, she has one hell of a temper? In some ways, I think Matt is turned on by her temper. "You didn't listen to me!"

"I did! I was! I still am!" I defended myself.

"Then what am I talking about?"

"Um…Jun and Matt," Was not a hard guess.

"And?"

"And that you don't trust her," I smiled, again I had heard this all before. I don't think it was that she not only distrusted Jun but Matt also. To be honest, if I was dating him I wouldn't had trust him either. Remember, I was the one who yanked his sorry ass out of another's bed countless time.

"You don't understand do you?"

"I do!" I swallowed that damn eggshell! "Do you trust Matt?"

"Of course I do!" She is so naïve….

"Then what are you worried about?" I asked her but I knew, she didn't trust Matt. A small part, in the back of her mind, kept sending her signals but the signals were too foggy for her to see clear. As a friend, I should tell her but I am stuck you see because I am his friend too.

"Morning," Matt came down the stairs and it didn't help that Jun followed him. It looked bad, seeing them like that but at that moment I can honestly say, nothing had happen. Matt was suffering from a hang over and there was no way he could even think clear.

"Morning…" Jun smiled and I saw Sora cringe.

"Morning you two!" I smiled sweetly; Sora gave me a death-stare. "Anything to eat?" I asked them, the table was packed with muffins, eggs, bacon, sausages, pancakes, sweet rolls and toast.

"Why so much?" Matt asked, not taking a seat.

"Mimi is in a cooking mood!" I smiled yay for us! "She's showing off."

"I am starved!" Jun sat down and I smiled. She had an appetite to match my own.

"No thanks, " Sora gave Jun's back a cold stare, "I have suddenly lost my appetite."

"I'm not very hungry either," Matt looked pale and I thought he was going to hurl right there.

"Looks like you could use some fresh air," I gave him a knowing look.

"Good idea, Tai," Matt turned to Sora and offered her his arm, "Care to join me in a rendezvous?"

I smiled as Sora took Matt's arm. She gave him the most loving smile I had ever seen. She adores him and Matt really loves her. His actions don't speak it but his eyes do. I hope he realises all of this before he loses her.

"I'll walk along!" Jun said with some eggs still crammed in her mouth.

"Actually I thought you and I could go for a um…canoe ride!" I smiled at her.

"Huh?" Jun stared at me blankly.

"Tai?" Matt looked puzzled. He knows my natural fear of being stuck with Jun anywhere.

"Tai has done a great job in renting us this cabin, Hun!" Sora was now beaming, "We have our private lake! This is going to be so much fun!"

As a friend, I feel sometimes I need to make sacrifices. We all have to do something that we don't enjoy, for the good of humanity. Taking Jun on a canoe ride was my good deed. For Sora, for Matt, for the human race. Maybe it won't be that bad. Sora and Matt could use some alone time.

"Come on Tk!" I watched my baby sister bounce down the stairs in nothing but a small bikini, the poke-it-dotted kind. The small kind. She was more naked then she was dressed!

"Right behind you!" Yeah that was Tk, right behind her watching her ass move.

"What are you wearing?" I asked.

"Huh?" She stopped her running and turn to me.

"Th…that!" I pointed to her barely covered body.

"This?" She looked down at herself and I turned to watch Tk looking down at her too.

"I saw that TK!" I glared at him.

"What?" He asked innocent. I understand that some people don't realise what they are doing until they are doing it and I do believe Tk is one of them. I don't think he registered in his mind that he was checking my little sister out. Still, I don't have to like it.

"This is a bikini," Kari placed a hand on a thrust out hip, giving Tk different pose. I glared at him again. I know what he is thinking, I mean I am a guy too! "This is what all the girls wear when they go swimming."

"IF all the girls were going to jump off a bridge, would you?" I asked.

"Don't even go there Tai!" She gave me an evil eye stare. "I have permission to wear this attire."

"I didn't give him permission to stare at what your "attire" isn't hiding!" I pointed at Tk.

"What?" Tk looked stupidly at me then his eyes shifted to his brother for help.

"Tai, they are just going for a swim," I felt Matt's hand on my shoulder, pushing me back into my chair. "You can keep an eye on them while you go on that lovely canoe ride." I heard laughter in his voice. Matt's a big brother also but he has it much easier. He only concern is to keep an eye on Tk while I have to keep an eye on Kari and every other hot blooded male that imposes a threat.

"I'm ready!" Davis came jumping down the stairs. Yes, Davis would be that other 'hot-blooded male which would impose a threat' to my Kari, "Wow Kari! You look hot!" Davis whistles. I jumped back out of my chair.

"YOU IDIOT!" I heard Matt hiss at Davis.

"What?" Davis stared blankly at me.

"If you ever say she looks hot again you will find yourself at the bottom of that pond, chained to the heaviest rock I can find!" I threaten him. "I don't want either of you looking at her in any kind of way!"

"TAI!" Kari's face flushed with embracement.


	5. The hilltop of dreams

"Isn't this lovely!" Jun beamed at me, her hand idly caressing the cool water. 

"Yeah," I frowned, paddling the canoe across the large lake watching as my sister flirted with the two young men. I'm not sure if she was flirting with them, I could barely make out them from my spot in the canoe but I could hear. I heard her laughing; calling out their names and much to my relief, Joe and Mimi joined them. That made me feel much better. Then I notice a sudden silence and I looked over at the usually talkative Jun. She was lost in her own world, her elbow on the edge of the boat, her hand under her chin. The light gave her a flawless appearance and if I squinted and looked crosseyed, she didn't look half-bad. The breeze caught her short hair in a lazy dance; there was a small curve of a smile playing on her lips. I glanced over my shoulder and caught sight of her view. Matt.

Matt and Sora had took their walk around the lake and found a fishing ramp which they sat on. Sora leaned against Matt's body, his arms wrapped around her in a tight embrace. They weren't talking but Sora had told me that there was something special in their relationship and words didn't bring them closer to each other, but silence made them inseparable. How sappy is that! Silence, my worse nightmare!

"She's never going to break up with him," I said carefully, still paddling the damn canoe.

"I know…" She gave a sigh and leaned against the back of the canoe, her body stretched out before in an innocent way. Her figure was not as bad as I thought, not seeing it in a bikini. She has long tan legs, her hips are softly curved and her breasts are much bigger then I thought. "No harm in day dreaming."

"Except that you would be dreaming your life away and if the right person walked up to you, you would never see him," I had heard that in a movie and it sounded like a good advice for this moment.

"What makes you think he isn't the right person?" June turned towards me and I only replied with a slight shrug.

I couldn't really say he wasn't, who was I to predict the future? I could tell her how much he loves Sora and her love for him. It is nothing they ever talked about but a person can't help but notice. Jun, herself had to notice and if I told her, I don't think she would believe me anymore then she believes her own eyes. I glanced over as I heard Sora scream.

"MATT!" Sora yelled from her place in the water.

"Did I drop you?" I over heard Matt ask Sora innocently. I watched Matt lay on his stomach on the deck and Sora swam towards him. Once she reached him, she gave him a playful splash in the face. Matt didn't laugh, I don't know what he was telling her but he reached out and caresses her face. They were looking each other in the eyes and Sora held his hand against her face. I smiled at the couple but quickly glanced over at June.

"Why don't you tell me, what makes you think that you are the right person for him?" I asked her. I think, from that moment on, she made a deal with her revengeful soul to make this vacation hell for me.

We all sat around a campfire that night. Matt had his old guitar and strummed carelessly on it. He had often did that out of habit, never realise what he was doing. As he did with his harmonica. Davis and Tk were trying to out wit each other at making my sisters laugh. Occasionally one of the two would open their mouths to say something to her but, for whatever reason, looked over my way and decided against it. Don't get me wrong, I want my sister to be happy. There is no one out there that will be good enough for her. God had not made such a person, there for I have to settle for who ever she picks and pray they make her dreams come true. I want her to have the best of everything and in my heart; I truly believe that Davis and Tk doesn't fit the picture.

Look at Davis, if you double his IQ it would never match hers and she needs someone on an intelligent level. Besides, even I have to admit how much he acts and looks like me. I wouldn't be surprised if he said he came from the future and was my son!

Now Tk has intelligence however, Kari has had a secret crush on Matt for a long time. I know it is a harmless crush, nothing even close to what Jun is dealing with but still, she couldn't date Tk while liking his brother! Tk respects her, but Tk protects her too much. She humours me by letting me play my role as an over protected brother but she would never allow a boyfriend treat her the way I do. I am a special case.

"I'm going to get more marshmallows," Mimi jumped up from her spot near Joe. Her face looked flushed and at first, I thought it was from the heat of the fire.

"I'll help, " Sora jumped up and I, sitting beside her, couldn't help but admire those strong thigh muscles she display so well.

I leaned back and caught Joe's eyes, we held that eye contact for a moment before he blushed and looked away. That is when I knew that Mimi's blush wasn't from the fire; something between the two was starting to happen. Is it possible for me to be the only one not in love with anyone! It's as if cupid is playing a game with everyone's heart but keeps forgetting my own! I gave a quick glance over everyone and I can grantee that everyone else was thinking about someone else. I feel so unloved…

"So how does it feel," I glanced over at Matt. Since Sora left, I moved over to my best friend. "How does it feel to have all your dreams come true?"

"My dreams?" Matt asked softly, a lift of his eyebrow told me he had no idea what I was talking about.

"Yeah your dreams." I swept my hands over at his guitar he put down gently beside him in its case. "Do you have any idea how many guys want to be rock stars? How many guys would love to have a girl like Sora on his arm? You have every guy's fantasy!"

"You don't want to be a rock star and I thought every guys fantasy was a set of hot twins?" Matt said innocently, and I nodded. "Or Sora and Mimi…" Matt added.

"You thought of them too!" my grin grew.

"Sure, I'd never tell Sora that though," Matt looked over his shoulder to where Mimi and Sora were handing out marshmallows. "Or Mimi."

"Why not? I am sure they would get a kick out of it. Mimi would tease you about it too." I shrugged looking at the two girls. After a moment of silence, which again I hate, I glanced back at Matt. "I won't tell if you are worried about that."

"Nah, I'm not worried that you would tell," Matt shrugged, "I'd never act on it at any rate."

"What's wrong with you?" I asked stunned.

"Nothing," Matt gave me one of his ice blue stares, "It's just…I don't know." A moment of Matt's silence followed. I would usually start saying something…anything but when he starts talking with that look in his eyes, it's when he going to say how he feels about something. Therefore, I stay quiet and wait until he can find a way to put it in words. I think that is where most of his problem with his emotions lay, he can't find the words to the way he feels and it frustrates him even more! It seems to boil under the surface looking for an outlet to escape. Frustrations sets in, fear, weariness and anger are all mixed within him somewhere and then…he takes it out on me. What are friends for! I still owe him a few more bruises.

"Fantasies are meant to stay fantasies. It's when you are hungry for a huge piece of chocolate cake, you keep putting it off, and the longer you put it off, the hungrier you grow for it. When you finally do devour it, it's not as good as you had thought it would be."

"Nah, you are losing me. Whenever someone besides mum makes cake, I know it's going to be as good as I thought." I gave him my best smile, which for some odd reason, never works on him. It seems to make him frown. Complexity in a friend is never good. " I'm sure Sora and Mimi would be as good as I believe they are!" I smiled, nodding my head at the thought. "Yeah, I'm sure…"

"Forget it," Matt sighed and leaned back on the fold up chair he brought with him.

"Okay, so you aren't living your dream. Your dream is to have Sora and Mimi while everyone else would love to be a rock star…"

"No, that's my fantasy," Matt interrupted me.

"To become a rock star?" I teased.

"No to have Sora and Mimi. I am a rock star now but it's not my dream to become one. I just…I don't know fell into it. Dreams and fantasies are two different things. Dreams are something you build towards and make a solid foundation. Fantasies are things that would never happen, that are never meant to happen. Like you and that cheerleader Trisha…"

"HEY!" I punched him in the shoulder, "I almost had that fantasy come true!"

"Except you didn't care for the muscles her boyfriend was packing," Matt grinned.

"Whatever…" I mimicked his old line.

"Tai," Matt said softly, "Do you want to see what my dream really is?"

I glanced over at him; everyone's voices went in the background of my mind, "Um…okay." I am curious by nature and it seems to get me into trouble. I stood up beside him, stretched as he told everyone we would be right back, he gave Sora a kiss on the cheek before he started walking away from the group, and I did the only thing I could. I followed.

I am a nature boy; I love the great outdoors, the smell of fresh pine, the chirping of birds, the bright sun heating my body. I love it…but this was the middle of the night. I was being eaten alive by every insect in a five-mile mark. I almost lost my shoe in the mud. Some vine kept following me (I swear it was the same vine!) and tripping me. I stumbled over the uneven surface of the forest ground. Once I tripped and stuck out my hand to keep balance and it went right up a tree hole. I apologizing to the tree countless times, who would like a fist rammed up its backside? I was sure the tree was about to forgive me when Matt yanked me by the collar.

"Stop talking to trees!" He hissed at me.

"Are you afraid I'll embarrass you in front of all the insects?" I asked him.

"You are an idiot," he only replied in his low voice.

"I am what I am and can only hope that I will be what I will be'' I sighed, walking behind him, up the slope of the hill…or was it a mountain? "Hey Matt!" I called out to the person in front of me. I couldn't even say for sure if it was Matt before me or not. It was so dark, I could only see his body outline.

"Huh?" He asked which made me feel better. I don't think anything could be worse then following a stranger through the woods thinking he was your best friend.

"This dream of yours…does it have anything to do with killing me?" I asked, buffing, "Because I am way too tired to put up much of a fight. Remember, I broke up two fights between Davis and TK because you wouldn't step in…"

"Tai I told you," Matt turned around, I'm sure to glare at me but again, it's dark! "They would eventually fight it out!"

"And, for you," I ignored him, not wanting to really argue. "I paddled clear around the lake with Jun…in a canoe. A very small canoe I might add!" I stood tall, "I'm in no mood to put up a fight. Just kill me now!"

"Why would I kill you?" He asked.

"For my money, for my fame." I told him.

"I'm the one with the money and fame."

"Oi," I nodded my head, "Then it should be me who slaughters you!"

"Are you done?" Matt asked.

"With what?"

"You are getting cranky," He told me.

"I am not!" I frowned, I don't get cranky! Well, at times I might get somewhat moody, but not now.

"Do you want to go back to the cabin? Do you need to take a nap are something?"

"Lead on," I said with a sigh. Sometimes I wish he had more of a sense of humour.


	6. Reality

When we finally stopped, I found the nearest fallen log and planted my ass firmly down upon it. Taking a deep breath of a breeze that had found it's way through the trees, I glanced down at my surroundings. We stopped at a cliff that pointed away from the mountain like a ship plank. Above me was the clear purplish black night sky with little dots of white stars blinking back at me. In the distance, I could see the small dance of our campfire causing moving shadows. Directly below us was the lake, its mirror surface mocking the night sky. All around the lake and through the meadow, lighting bugs flicked their own light to match the sky. With them below us, the stars above us, it was as if we were caught in a jar, floating nowhere yet seeing everywhere.

"Your dream is to become a hermit?" I asked, leaning against the falling log's thick branches. "You are going about it all wrong. You should never become famous."

"I want to be there," Matt said from behind me.

"We just came from there!" I looked down at the campfire, "I'd like to be there now. I bet they ate all the marshmallows. A good hotdog would be nice right about now also."

"Tai," Matt said softly, making me look his way. "I want to be there." He was pointing up; my head followed his outstretched arm.

"The moon?" I asked. "Why? Nothing is up there…"

"Exactly why I want to be there."

"But…it would be so lonely. No TV or music! You love your music!" I turned to him.

"I make music here, I can do it there." Matt shrugged but continued to look upwards. He had done that a lot now that I noticed. All through our camping experience, he would be laying on his back looking up at the stars.

"It's far away Matt," I said softly, I said it more to myself.

"Can you imagine being up there? No houses, no cars, no people. A complete silence and to be able to look back at the earth. To see the true size of the world. To see the reality which we really live in. It's unbelievable Tai." Matt's blue eyes were wide, and looking into those eyes, the moon's reflection shined back at me. "It's not just the moon either Tai. It's the universe. I want to see what is beyond our own eyes."

"Then take a ride on a plane, travel around the world, and glide through the air in a hot air balloon. You'll see more, you would see beyond what you are seeing now and still remain on earth!" I stood up brushing at any dirt that may have lingered on my ass.

"It wouldn't be the same," Matt shrugged.

"Besides, astronauts are smart Matt. They get good grades; they go through training courses…"

"Do you think I'm stupid?" Matt's voice was barely a whisper.

"NO!" Shit, I shouldn't have said that. "You are smart it's just that astronauts are…Izzy smart." I backed away from the edge of the cliff; this was not a good place to start a fight with Matt.

"You don't think I am smart enough to be an astronaut?"

"I don't know what I'm saying…" I paused, trying to find the right words. No, I don't think he is smart enough. Matt is known for some of his own blonde moments! "You are a rock star Matt. You sing for a band, you play back up guitar. You are great doing that and I think your music is your calling card."

"Because I can sing…"

"Right."

"And play musical instruments."

"You got it!"

"And I have the looks for the 'star' quality."

"You will go far with those looks man. Girls drop when they spot you!"

"But I don't have the brains to be an astronaut."

"Ugh, why does this have to be so hard?" I screamed up at the sky.

"Do you have any idea how hard it is to but words together? How hard it is to find the right melody for those words?" Matt asked me.

"I'm not a rock star, no I don't know how hard it is and I'm sure it is hard but you do it. You do a wonderful job at it" Folded my arms, "and if anything should happen, you have body guards, you have police to help you. You have help. You go up there," I pointed above my head, "Who's going to help you? You would be gone for months! If something goes wrong up there, that's it! It's over!"

"That could happen anywhere I go! I could be going to school and be in a car accident! I could die by choking on something!" Matt shook his head.

"Why can't you understand…" I asked.

"Me understand? I brought you up here to share this with you. To share what I want to do with my life and all you can do is cut it down. Why can't you understand?" He turned his back on me as he always does. I suppose its better then hitting me.

"Matt," I started off, trying to find the right words.

"Leave it be," Matt mumbled.

"I.."

"Go back down to the camp, Tai."

"But…"

"Just go. Leave me alone."

"Matt…"

"Go away Tai!"

What else could I do? Here I am, having my 'senior year' crisis, which everyone seems to be oblivious to, and he brings this on me? I know that after school, our course will change and my friends will go in different directions then I will, but I still will see them. We can meet up for coffee, talk on the phone, show up at parties. If he goes into space, that's it. It isn't just a week that would go by but months and months with out him there. Whom am I going to talk to when I am in need for guidance? Okay, so he really doesn't say anything back at me, but he listens to me. What if something happens while he's up there, who would help him? How hard would it be to look up at those stars knowing that he is in need of help and I cannot do anything to help him?

"Tai!" Kari called out my name but I ignored her. I wasn't in the mood for her or anyone else. At this moment, it feels as I lost my only friend.


	7. starting to break away

"Guess who!" a hand closed around my eyes.

"I'm not in the mood," I pulled away.

"Excuse me," Sora sighed, walking around the sofa I sat on. "So you and Matt had a little fight and now you are sitting in here sulking."

"I don't sulk," I frowned at her, never taken my eyes off the television.

"Huh-uh." I felt her head lean on my shoulder, "Poor baby."

"I'm not a baby!" I turned to her. She only glanced up at me with those soft brown eyes.

"What's wrong then? It's a beautiful day and you are in here looking at the TV!"

"Nothing!" I fumed, turning to the television.

"It's not even on! You are just throwing a fit because something didn't go your way!" She stood up.

"I can't believe you don't have a problem with this."

"With what!"

"With him and…and going to the moon!"

"Tai," Sora sat down beside me again, her hands going through my hair. "He isn't going tomorrow, he isn't going next year, and he won't be going in five years from now. There is a lot of work ahead of him."

"But he still wants to go!"

"Yes." She said in her careful tone, the tone mom use to use when trying to teach me how to tie my shoe. "That's right."

"And you are okay with it…"

"Of course!" Sora smiled, "Who am I to tell him not to do something? What if we asked you never to play soccer again?"

"It's not the same thing!"

"It's still a dream, isn't it?"

"Well…yeah but you can see me whenever you want. Why does he want to be an astronaut anyway? He can stay here and continue his singing career."

"Because that's not what he wants to do!" Sora laughed a little, "Look at it like this. If we all went to him and told him or asked him not to go, he wouldn't. However, Tai he would not be happy. Sure he could continue to sing and go on tour but eventually he will resent that and will resent us and…well, he wouldn't be the person we know."

"You're not helping me."

"You are just sulking because you are losing control of us!" Sora stood up, "Tai, you can't lead us all the time. We will have to break away and find our own way."


	8. Fun at the Lake

Tai glanced out his bedroom window at a beautiful morning. Already the other members in the group were out of bed. His sister was yelling down by the lake as the two younger boys chased her. Matt was pushing Soar from a rope hanging low from a tree, then she let go with a huge scream as she plunged into the cold morning water. Mimi was lying on a blanket, soaking in the sun and Joe was beside her, very close beside her, reading from a some book. Now doubt a medical book just in case someone fell on the dirt instead of the water. Izzy was flipping over rocks close to the shore and June was underneath a shaded tree.

"When did we grow up?" Tai said to himself as he changed, planning on joining the others before they broke out for lunch. He rushed to brush his teeth and bounced out of the cabin, skipping breakfast.

"HEY TAI!" Kari shouted and at that moment, Davis pulled her under the water. "AGGGHHH!"

"Davis don't be drowning my sister!" Tai warned him. "Tk, keep your hands above water! I know your brother therefore I don't trust you!"

"Hey," Matt quirked up an eyebrow. Tai winked and jumped into the lake, swimming over to where his sister and the two other boys stood shoulder length in the water.

"I want another turn!" Sora giggled, running out of the water in order to try the rope.

"Did I ever tell you that you look delicious when you are wet?" Matt asked her, pulling her mouth to his. Sora giggled as Matt found a ticklish spot on her belly and she pulled away

"Give me a good push this time; I want to go further in the water!" Sora laughed as she jumped onto the rope. Matt gave her bottom a push and laughed as she screamed and then dropped off.

"Hey baby, you're supposed to come back to me!" Matt yelled at her.

"I slipped!" Sora lied, batting her eyelashes up at him.

"Can I have a try?" Jun asked, walking up to Matt. "It looks fun."

"Yeah," Matt gave her the rope, "Have you use this before?"

"No," Jun said soflty.

"Just hang on real tight and you will be fine." Matt smiled down at her.

"Okay," Jun said, taking a few deep breaths.

"Do you need a push too?" Matt asked her.

"Maybe a small one," Jun smiled shyly, leaning back against Matt, "Wait. How do I get on this?"

"You put your feet on the knots at the bottom and hold on real tight or else you will fall on the ground." Matt told her. He felt her lean against her more as she struggled to put both feet on the knot. Her already wet body kept sliding against his stomach.

"It keeps getting away from me," Jun giggled at her clumsy attempts.

"See the knot above your head?" Matt pointed to a knot, "You put your hands up there and hold on. Then you pull your feet up." After a few more jumps, she was able to hang onto the rope with out falling back against Matt again.

"Ready?" Matt asked.

"Ready," Jun replied weakly.

"Watch where you are pushing mister!" Sora warned playfully at Matt and Matt saluted her.

"Ready?" He asked Jun again.

"I think so," Jun smiled timidly.

"Here you go," Matt gave her a gently push and smiled as she screamed all the way.

"DROP!" Sora yelled to her. Jun just hung on and Matt grabbed her around the waist when she came back.

"Let's try this again, shall we?" Matt asked. "Honey, move back some!" Matt motioned for Sora to back into the lake. "When you reach about where Sora is, let go of the rope." He felt Jun nod against his neck. "Okay here you go," Matt gave her another push.

"JUMP!" Sora told her but Jun came back again.

"Here let me show you!" Kari splashed her way out of the lake and jumped on the rope. Matt gave her a hard push, sending her wheeling up into the air and when she was at her highest, she let go to drop with a hard splash into the lake.

"Be careful Matt," Tai warned his best friend.

"I'm fine," Kari emerged from the depth of the water.

"Very fine," Tk grinned.

"HEY!" Tai glanced over at him, "I am standing right here idiot!"

"Play nice Tai," Matt warned his friend this time. "Ready Jun?"

"Okay, I'll try again." Jun took a few deep breaths, leaning back on Matt.

"If she doesn't jump, I am going to slash that rope," Sora hissed at Kari who giggled. "I'm serious! Look at her, all over him."

"I can't believe you are jealous!" Kari smiled.

"I wouldn't be if she wasn't rubbing all over my boyfriend!" Sora crossed her arms and watched as Jun flew across the lake.

"JUMP!" everyone shouted at the same time. Jun let go of the rope with a scream and landed in the lake. After she emerged with her head out of the water, everyone clapped.

"Want another turn?" Matt asked her.

"Um…no," Jun blushed a little, "Once is enough for me."

"Anyone else?" Matt took the rope and held it out as Izzy scrambled up him.

"I can manage, thank you." Izzy told Matt and gave a running start before he landed into the water. Davis and Tai took there turn next.

"Look who is swimming up to us," Kari leaned against Sora as Jun swam up from behind them, "Be nice!" Kari warned Sora.

"I am always nice," Sora rolled her eyes.

"Hey," Jun stopped before them. "I have a little problem…"

_Like keeping your hands off my boyfriend?_ Sora thought to herself.

"What's up?" Kari asked sweetly, giving a quick glance towards Sora.

"I lost my top." Jun blushed again.

"You what?" Sora laughed, "You lost ….All my god! How awful!"

"SHhhhh!" Jun glanced around her at all the boys.

"Oh." Sora covered her mouth. "I'll go get you another one, Kari can help you look for the one you lost." Sora turned to swim for the shore.

"Lost it in the jump huh?" Kari asked before dunking her head under the water. Jun also started to look for it.

"Matt," Sora climbed up the bank and walked towards Matt who took a seat on a blanket out of the sun.

"Yeah?" He glanced up at her.

"You didn't do anything to Jun, did you?"

"I pushed her on the rope, you saw me." Matt shrugged.

"But you didn't do anything else, did you?" Sora sat before him.

"Like what?" Matt asked, "I kept my hands to myself, I didn't touch her ass if that's what you mean." Matt started to scowl at her.

"Don't get all huffy," Sora rolled her eyes, "She lost her top I thought maybe…"

"You thought I loosen it?" Matt asked.

"Well…" Sora shrugged.

"I didn't," Matt growled and looked down at the lake.

"Sorry," Sora sighed giving him a quick kiss on the cheek and headed up for the cabin, "Don't tell the other guys."

"Tell us what?" Tai walked over, watching as Sora ran to the cabin.

"Jun lost her top," Matt took a sip of his juice.

"No way!" Tai glanced at Matt as he was about to lean over the cooler to grab a bottled water. "No joke?"

"No jokes," Matt smiled at him, "want to go swimming?"

"You can't," Tai glared at Matt, "Sora will be upset and I don't want my best friends fighting!"

"Fine," Matt rolled his eyes.

"But I will let you know if I find anything!" Tai laughed and ran for the swing robe. With a huge run, he flew into the sky and let go of the rope with a drop, landing close by Jun and Kari.

"Bastard," Matt smiled at his friend.


	9. A dream of Paths

"Hey Jun! Did you like my jump?" Tai asked, swimming closer to his sister and Jun. "Er…sure it was great Tai," Jun smiled a little, putting her arms over her chest but still kept her shoulders under water. Slowly and as natural as she could, she walked behind Kari.

"You look a little cold," Tai gave her one of his best smiles, "Maybe you had too much time in the water today? I think your lips are turning purple."

"I'm fine," Jun bit the bottom of her lip to keep it from quivering.

"Hey Kari!" Tk and Davis swam up to her.

"STOP!" Kari told the two boys.

"What?" Davis asked.

"I um…" Kari looked over at Jun, "I lost my top."

"You what?" Tai asked.

"I lost my top!" Kari kept her shoulders underwater giving Jun a small glance, "Now don't come any closer!"

"I'll help you find it Kari!" Tk gave her his angel of a smile took a deep breath to go under water.

"Like hell you will!" Tai grabbed a nice fist full of golden locks and dunked Tk, "Nether of you are going underwater!" Tai warned Davis and Tk.

"But you sent TD underwater!" Davis whined.

Tai pulled Tk's head back out of the water.

"OW!" Tk winced, pulling loose from Tai's reach. "I was only going to help her find it!"

"Sora is brining me another top." Kari rolled her eyes.

"But I thought…" Tai frowned.

"What did you thought?" Kari tilted her head.

"Nothing, never mind." Tai glanced up at the bank where Matt sat on a blanket, watching.

"Hey everyone, what's going on?" Izzy came up from behind.

"Stay where you are!" Tai warned him, "Kari lost her top."

"I thought Jun lost her top?" Izzy frowned.

"You knew?" Kari stared at Izzy.

"No, it was Kar! Matt got it all wrong." Tai shook his head, "So don't come near."

"EWWW!" Davis started to back around, "My sister is naked!"

"Just the top of her," Tk frowned.

"AGH!" Davis started to hit his head, "Must get image out of my head!"

"WAIT!" Kari stood up, "You two knew that she doesn't have her top and you came over anyway!"

"I think I best be going," Izzy slowly backed up.

"I can't believe that you two would come over here knowing that one of us girls didn't have our top on! How would you like it if you were to lose your shorts and we still approached you! WAIT! Don't even bother to answer that!" Kari fumed, "I thought you were different Tai and you are no better Izzy!"

"Tai is only different when it comes to you," Tk shrugged.

"What is going on?" Sora stopped beside the clean blanket Matt sat on to look over at the lake. "Why are those boys around Kari and Jun?"

"I'm not sure but from here it looks like Kari is yelling at everyone." Matt shrugged. "And Davis and Tk are always around Kari."

"What happen?" Sora looked down at Matt.

"I don't know Sora but if you like, I can go wading out there and find out." He snapped at her.

"Don't get all pissy," Sora rolled her eyes.

"Then don't expect me to know what is going out there when I'm here!" Matt replied, flashing his blue eyes up at her. "Look, just go give Jun her top and…"

"You told them," Sora frowned, "You told the boys that Jun doesn't have a top and now they are swarming around her like…"

"I did not tell the boys…I only told Tai." Matt shrugged.

"How could you?" Sora growled and stormed off.

_The air was dry from the rock Tai sat on. He needed this climb, he wasn't sure why but he had to climb this mountain of rocks, he just felt that it was the thing to do. He took a long drink of his bottle water yet his mouth still was left dry. 'It's too hot to climb today.' He thought, looking at the sun that swung high in the sky. Wiping the sweat off his brow, Tai glanced over this shoulder, his eyes rising to the top of the rocks. 'Feels like I'm not getting anywhere.' He sighed softly. _

_"Did you lose your way?" Sora sat down next to him. The harsh heat of the sun didn't even faze her. She even looked a little younger. _

_"No," Tai shook his head, "I'm going up there. I can't get lost if I am only going up!"_

_"Silly Tai!" Sora giggled and started hoping from rock to rock, making her way up the mountain._

_"Sora, wait up!" Tai resealed his bottled water and started to follow her. She made it look so easy, never slipping or using her hands. It's as if she had wings on her shoes. Tai grunted as the rocks loosen under his footing and more then once, he slipped causing an abrasion on his cheek. _

_What seem like hours was actually a few minutes as Tai struggled up the hill. Glancing down, he saw a river below. The top of the pine trees stared up at him like needles in a pincushion. _

_"Hurry Tai!" Sora called down at him. She already made it to the top of the mountain. _

_"Coming!" Tai cried after her, pressing on, stumping on. _

_Finally, when his hand touched the very top of the mountain, Sora was there to help him over the side. "It's about time!"_

_"How did you get here so fast?" Tai crawled forward, letting the breeze cooled off his heated body. "My muscles ache!"_

_"Silly Tai!" Sora giggled again. "Come on! The other's are already here!"_

_"The others?" Tai rolled onto his belly and saw Izzy and Joe going down a sliding board. Davis and Tk were fighting over who was pushing Kari on the swings, Mimi was picking flowers and sticking them in her hair. Sora stood beside Matt, a soccer ball tucked under her arm. _

_"You kept us waiting Tai," Matt tilted his head a little._

_"You're a kid," Tai frowned._

_"So are you!" Matt said hotly. _

_"Yeah but you are a really small kid!" Tai stood up looking at the others. They were all kids again. _

_"Taller then you," Matt quirked up an eyebrow. Tai glanced down too see himself in his favorite shirt that his mother thrown out years ago. His shoes were untied, a pair of holes showed off his dirty kneecaps. _

_"I'm a kid," Tai frowned._

_"DUH!" Mimi rolled her eyes from the field of posies. "That's what we've been telling you!"_

_"Ready to play some ball?" Matt asked._

_"Ready to get your butt kicked?" Tai laughed and chased the ball Sora threw in the air. It only took a moment, a few seconds and the game was almost over. It felt like they had been playing soccer forever, yet according to Tai's watch, only minutes._

_"Hey, do you know that time is different here?" Tai asked the others. "Matt? Sora? Kari?" He turned around in a circle, they were all gone. "MATT!''_

_"Over here," Kari waved to her brother. She now stood in front of a path, Tk holding her hand. Matt between Jun and Sora. Mimi was putting flowers in Joe's hair and Izzy stood there with his backpack.. "We are waiting."_

_"For what?" Tai scratched his head. _

_"For you," Sora smiled, "Come on!" _

_"Hurry, before it starts to get dark." Joe looked up at the sky._

_"I don't like the dark!" Tk started to cry._

_"It's okay," Kari patted his back. _

_"Come on Tai," Matt crossed his arms and gave Tai one of his stormy glares, "Lets go."_

_"But…I don't know where we are going." Tai walked up to them._

_"Nether do we," Izzy told him, "But you are our leader…so lead." _

_Tai glanced at the faces that stared back at him before turning and heading into the woods. "Well…I guess if we stay on the path, we won't get lost. It's a nice, clean cut path. Straight ahead. How hard could it be?" Tai gave a weak laughed. _

_Soon minutes turned into hours, hours seem to turn into day but according to Tai's watch, only minutes went passed. Surprisingly the path stayed true to its course. It stayed a nice, trimmed path and only a few times Tai saw a few stones sticking through the rich soil. He could walk on this path forever, yet the others have seemed to have problems. Half way into the woods, Joe started tripping and stumping into Matt. Matt grew grouchy; Tk and Davis fought more and more over who was standing near Kari. Mimi had stopped humming and started to complain about everything and anything. Sora and Jun also picked up a few arguments. _

_"Just knock it off, okay!" Tai turned around to look at everyone. He had to give them a double take, they had seemed to age a little more now. When he turned back to the path, he finally realized he came to cross roads. The path lead into smaller paths over ran with weeds, large boulders, gnarly trees and darkness. Yet the path he was on was still neat and clear of obstacles. "Let's more on with this path." He took a step forward._

_"Not me," Matt stopped. _

_"Why?" Tai frowned, "Is it because of Joe?"_

_"Matt?" Tk looked uncertain._

_"No, I want to take that path." Matt pointed to the left. _

_"But look at it! " Tai stood there dumbfounded, "Why would anyone take that path! It is all run down! This path is easier."_

_"It's not the path I want to take!" Matt said hotly and stormed off to the path he chosen. _

_"Tk?" Tai looked at Matt's little brother._

_"It's okay; it's his path Tai." Tk beamed at the older boy, "We'll see him again."_

_Tai watched as Matt walked further into the path until he but all disappeared form his view. _

_"Tai," Sora said softly, "I've been thinking and…well I need to go that way." She pointed to the path on the right._

_"Why?" Tai asked, even more confused. "I thought we were a group."_

_"We are!" Sora reassured him, "But I think for now, we need to break apart and regroup later." She bent over and gave him a kiss on the cheek then, like Matt, she headed for her path. One by one, each member said their good-byes to Tai and all he could is watch them go. Even his sister went off on a different road. _

_"This is a big mistake!" He screamed, yet no one was there to hear him. Turning slowly, his head down to the ground, Tai began on the path that was clear. He felt all alone for the longest time until he lifted his head and stood still long enough to actually look. There before him, paths webbed in and out of his. Smaller paths and there they all were, racing back and forth. They were laughing, waving to Tai, telling him to hurry up. He ran ahead and caught Kari in a hug. _

_"I thought you left me!" He kissed her cheek. _

_"Never!" She giggled. When she pulled away from him he noticed that she wasn't a child anymore. She wasn't an adult either. Tk came up beside him, he was almost as same height as Tai. _

_"We are all going over to the house." Tk told him._

_"What house?" Tai looked confused. _

_"The house," Tk repeated, giving him a puzzling smile. "Hurry up Tai!" _

_"Hey Tai!" a female voice shouted. Sora and Matt were ahead of the group. Matt had his arm around Sora's waist and they were both waving to him. "Hurry up!" Sora giggled and freed herself from Matt to take off on a run. The other's ran after her._

_"Don't leave me!" Tai yelled, trying to catch up to them. Every time he managed to come up beside on of them, he would be pulled behind again, losing sight of them once more. He slowled down to a walk, breathing deeply, trying to catch his breath. Looking around him he notice that he had come to a clearing of the woods and before him stood a large, dark house. All the paths lead to this house, all the paths the others had took came to rest in front of this house. He slowly walked around the house, noticing that it had many doors and windows. Stairways leading up, stairways leading down. Yet every time he tried on of the doors, they remain locked. He could see through the windows, he could see the others laughing before a roaring fire. There were more people in the house then just his friends, never seeing them before, yet at the same time he knew them. He loved them and he needed to be in the house be with them. He ran around the building again, pounding on the doors, hoping they would hear him and let him in. Finally, he came to the last door and out of desperation, he ran full force into the door, trying to knock it open._

_"You can't get in by force," a voice came from behind him. Tai swirled around to see a silhouette of a female. _

_"Who are you?" Tai asked._

_"You can't knock a door down, not in this house." The voice continued, as she hadn't heard him. _

_"I know you, don't I?" Tai asked, walking towards the girl. _

_"No, not yet you don't but you will…in time you will know me." The girl said softly. _

_"Why can't I see you?" He asked, raising his hand up to touch the shadow of a person, yet his hands slipped through her and the darkness before him swirled a little but quickly retook the shape. "You've been in my dreams before but I can never see you clearly."_

_"I'm not in your life yet," She merely said. "But they are." the girl pointed to the house._

_"They won't let me in." Tai frowned. "I've tried but the doors are locked."_

_"Did you try the key?" the girl asked._

_"What key?" Tai shook his head, "There is no key."_

_"There is always a key, Tai." The shadow raised her hand to produce the silver key. Tai slowly reached up and took the key from the girl. It lay heavy and warm in the palm of his hand. _

_"Where did you get it?" Tai asked._

_"Back there, on the path. It dropped out of your pocket." _

_"But it's not mine."_

_"Are you sure, Tai?" The girl asked softly. "It's always been your key but you never realize you had it, did you? Now, when you need it the most you won't claim it? Try it. Go on." She gave him a push and even though his hands slipped through her body, her hands remain firm and real against his back as she shoved him to the door. "Go on Tai." _

_Tai gave her a slow smile before turning to face the door. He slipped the key into the lock and gave a turn. It opens, in gulfing him with a sweet familiar breeze, laughter roared through out the house. '_

_"Tai's here!" Kari came rushing forward, throwing her arms around Tai. _

_"Kari?" Tai looked at the young woman before him. _

_"Who else!" Kari giggled, pulling her brother into the house. Tai looked back at the shadows._

_"Aren't you coming in?" Tai asked._

_"Not yet, it's not my time." The girl smiled._

_"Will I see you again?" Tai asked, he suddenly felt alone again. Even through he was in the middle of his friends, he felt alone. _

_"Yes, we will meet again and when we do, ask me into your life then." the girl smiled and waved as the door shut softly. "Until then, I'll see you in my dreams as well."_

_"You finally showed up?" Matt asked, a small child nestled in his arm. _

_"Yeah," Tai stared at the door, "That path I took. I got lost but I found my way back."_

"You didn't go anywhere," Matt looked at Tai.

"Huh?" Tai woke up from the hemlock he fell asleep on.

"You said you found your way back." Matt corked up an eyebrow, "You were here the whole time."

"Tai talks in his sleep all the time," Kari laughed.

"I was sleeping?" Tai asked.

"Yeah you were sleeping," Sora patted his head. "Nice dream?"

"The best, I got lost!" Tai grinned.

"Do you want to try it in real life now?" Matt asked.

"Shush!" Sora swatted at Matt's head. "Leave him alone."

"I got lost in my dream, okay! I finally got it though," Tai smiled, leaning up on the cot. 'My friends might take different paths then mine but my path will always be the center of theirs.'


	10. The fight

**_The Way Home_**

**Some think the moment** is beyond what can change,  
they are plain sick & tired ...of the hard and the strange.  
Taking your medicine and calling it fate,  
without trying to change it is the first clear mistake.

Feeling life's problems, its lessons & wrath,  
is the first step to finding your way down this path.  
All things that happen begin in your mind,  
manifest in reality at just the right time...

Touch on the causes that start deep within,  
below even consciousness ...well under the skin.  
Look at your thinking about love, fear & death,  
and you,ll see the foundations that must be addressed.

It's like psychic healing for your body & mind,  
reach into the future affecting mankind.  
Embrace a new concept ...start and replace,  
fate is the adversary that the mind can erase!

I hope you're not thinking that all this is bunk,  
or that people who believe this all must be drunk.  
Poetic justice comes with knowledge and faith,  
the secret of living **is beyond commonplace!**

* * *

JyouraKoumi…You've said that before about one of my stories... Yet I still don't seem to care.

MattTobiasMalfoy…Thank's again for your review MattTobias!

* * *

"So then…"Tk wiped away a tear, "Davis had to tell the principle what he had done to get into trouble! I would have given anything to see the face of Dr.Thomas when Davis told him that, at age twelve, he still ate glue!"

"It wasn't that funny KD!" Davis sulked on the sofa, his arms across his chest and a bottle of beer between his knees. Tk took another bottle from the ice chest.

"Go easy on that," Joe warned him, "You're already on your third one."

"I'll drink it slow!" Tk winked at him. Someone in the room gave a snort of laughter.

"Was that you?" Matt nudge Kari's foot with his own, "Did you just snort!"

"NO!" Kari was laughing to hard that a huge amount of air escaped out of her nose. "I don't snort!" Her face redden. I was the only one who knew that she had a small crush on Matt and now he caught her snorting. That was rich!

"Yes you do!" Matt teased, "You just did!"

"No I didn't!" Kari laughed a little more, "DV, Tell your brother that I don't snort!"

"She doesn't snort!" Tk told Matt, "And my name isn't DV!"

"Oppss…" Kari put a hand over her mouth, giggling. "Davis is rubbing off onto me!"

"It's 'bout time!" Davis slid down the sofa's pads to sit next to Kari who had a place on the floor.

"Get away from my sister you lousy drunk!" I hissed at Davis. I don't remember who actually picked up the cases of beer but we all pretty much had it almostfinished.

"We are all drunk," Mimi hiccupped, "'Cept for Joe and um…Izzyman! Izzy your not so drunk are you?"

"Nup," Izzy shook his head and held up a bottle of his own beer. Izzy was the type that could get drunk and you would never had known it. He was a calm drunk. Mimi however giggled about anything. Matt had her almost peeing her panties just by saying 'buggy' over and over again.

"I can't drink because someone has to be the reasonable one inhere!" Joe huffed.

"Aw…poor Joey," Mimi crawled on her hands and knees over to him.That was a wonderful sight. A beautiful image of a young woman crawling on her hands and knees. Mimi took up that kitten posesoeasly. Her back arching, slowly lefting up her hands, herass wiggling at the right moment. I wish I wasJoe.."Poor little Joe…" She slurred, climbing up on his lap. "HEY! I can give you a lap dance!"

"GO JOE!" The boys yelled. I almost sprouted my beer out of my mouth. I would have loved to watch Mimi wiggle her ass around.

"Mims don't be a hussy!" Sora sat down between Tk and Matt.

"Do it again,' Matt tapped Kari on the head.

"I don't snort!" Kari glared at him, "Now drink your bottle and leave me alone!"

"Leave my girlfriend alone Matt," Tk frowned at his brother.

"I ain't anybody's girlfriend," Kari swung her fingers around each boy, "Remember that."

"See! I told you she didn't like you like that TZ!" Davis shouted at him.

"His name isn't TZ you freak. How hard is it to say TK? Can you even spell it?" Matt gave Davis a quick jab in the ribs.

"And you…"Kari put her hand on Davis' face, pulling it towards her own, "Keep your mouth shut because I like him as much as I like you!"

"Tai, your little sis likes threesomes!" Matt teased.

"Take that back!" I yelled at Matt, "My sister doesn't like it any way!" I hated to even think that she was capable of having sex with anyone. I started to pound my head, "Ewww…gross images!"

"Okay…" Matt laughed, holding up his hands.

"Tai!" Kari threw her shoe at him, "I hate you! You're a dork!"

"And you snort!" I shouted back at her and started to make pig sounds.

"I do not!" Kari screamed.

"OMG!" Mimi pointed to Kari. "Is that a…."

"NO!" Kari pulled her hand up over her neck, "It's not."

"It is!" Mimi stumbled off of Joe's lap and closer to Kari's neck, pointing one of her perfectly pink fingernails at the huge bruise on my sister's throat. "OMG look at that big sucker mark!"

"Who the hell gave you a hickey?" I stood up, throwing my beer bottle on the floor, which bounced off the floor and smacked me in the knee. "Which one of you little bastards gave my little sister a hickey?" I looked down at Davis who had his mouth hanging open.

"You have a hickey," Davis looked over at Kari's neck.

Clearly, Davis was as surprised as I was which only lead to one other person in the room. My focus slammed against piercing blue wide eyes of my best friend's brother. Sweet little Tk. Tk the innocent. Nah, it was all an act. He was as devious as his older brother was.

"So tell me Tk, does she snort when you suck her neck?" Matt asked.

"SHIT!" Tk jumped over the sofa as I lounged at him. "MATT! HELP!"

"I'm going to kill you!" I yelled, the little bastard was quicker then I thought he would be. In addition, I was struggling with the consumption of alcohol and I seem to be tripping over everything in sight. I was able to grab a hold of his foot and pull him closer to me. He fell on to his stomach with a loud "Oft" sound coming out of his mouth. I kept pulling him closer to me, his stomach dragging on the carpet, Tk was going to get a carpet burn on his belly!He was scraping his nails on the floor, which was somewhat funny. It reminded me of horror movies where the person was being dragged into the darkness. I was that darkness now, I even think I managed to give out an evil laugh.

"MATT!" Tk screamed. If anything positive comes of this, I was able to scare the hell out of Tk and Davis.

"GET OFF HIM!" My little sister yelled. I was now sitting on top of the little bugger, him on his back now. I put my arms around his neck, but not enough to block off his air passage.

"Stay the hell away from my sister!" I yelled at him repeatedly. I usually don't act this way but it was the alcohol talking now.

"KILL HIM! KILL HIM! KILL HIM!" I heard Davis chanting. "EVERYONE TOGETHER!"

"Shut up freak," Mimi slapped Davis gently on the head.

"Tai…"Matt grabbed a hold of my shirt, trying to pull me off his brother no doubt, however I was stronger then Matt, "Get off my brother Tai. You wouldn't want me on your sister, would you?"

"SHUT UP!" I yelled up at him, punching away his arm. Did Matt lust after my sister too! AGH my mind can't handle all of this! How can I keep every man away from her!

"I am going to teach your brother not to mess with my sister!" I growled and started to bang Tk's head off the floor.

"That's enough Tai!" Matt suddenly turned sober on me and pulled me off his brother. At the very least, I have to say it took more then one tug to get me off his brother. Matt grabbed me from behind with both arms and I fell backward, on top of Matt. I think I knocked the air out of his lungs because he made a strange sound. I start throwing my fist in the air and once caught Matt in the chin, which was my error. Nobody hits Matt in his precious face! "ENOUGH TAI!" Matt pushed me back against the sofa. My head landed on the seat cushions andof my feet went over my head. The next thing I knew, I was sitting beside Kari and Davis.

"If you touch my sister I'll kill you too!" I bit Davis' arm.

"HE BIT ME!" Davis' mouth fell open. "HE BIT ME!"

I don't know why I bit him. Iknow I wasn't thinking clearly, I was pissed. I think I can calmly say it was a moment of temporary insanity.


	11. Don't hate me!

**_Looking for Something?_**

**What I want from this life** is not money or fame,  
maybe find the right partner who won't make it a game.  
Who cares what you do to waste time in your life,  
or look for the pleasures... like those shared with a wife.

Clock time has no meaning, it's long and just there,  
a search for your partner could find them your pair.  
But what does success mean if you spend life alone...  
no one to share with, a house but not home?

Are you looking for something to make life complete...  
or searching for someone that you just cannot meet?  
Don't count on another to answer your prayers,  
you must do it yourself, for yours to become theirs.

Attracting your soulmate is a fabulous thing,  
it could last to forever ...or just an overnight fling!

When you finally see them like the waves crashing down,  
your mind meets temptation **as the circle comes round!**

* * *

**Mia Kamiya & MattTobias> Thanks for the reviews!**

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"TAI BEHIND YOU!" Kari yelled three inches from my ear. Before I could even look over my shoulder, I felt the impact of another human crashing upon me. Apparently, when drunken Matt has better coordination skills then I do. Leaping over the sofa in a single bound, he landed on top of me. Smacking my head into the coffee table as I buckled under the weight. We aren't kids anymore and we both had gain about double our size since we were eleven, it hurt like hell! I was able to roll over on my back, he was still on top of me and I didn't have time to prepare myself as his fist collided with my jawbone.

"GET OFF MY BROTHER!" I heard Kari yell from the other side of Matt.

"TK GET YOUR GIRLFRIEND OFF OF ME!" Matt was trying to keep me pin down and at the same time, keep Kari from pounding her little fist into his back and ribs.

"TK GET YOUR BROTHER OFF OF MY BROTHER!" Kari yelled. "OW LET GO OF ME!"

Matt had me pin down by the neck however, I was able to lift my head an inch off the ground. Matt had grabbed a hold of Kari's hair with his other hand, her little fist were moving a mile a minute trying to land them on any part of Matt's body. That little crush she had on him, I think this ended it.

"Stop pulling her hair!" I bite his hand.

"OW!" Matt let go of me, looking down at his tooth marked hand.

"Told you he bites!" Davis yelled from a place behind the lazy chair. I went to push Matt backwards by pushing all of my weight onto his and at the same time, Kari seeked revenge by pulling on Matt's golden locks. I forgot to figure that I outweighed him and he fell like falling tree…err, right on top of my sister.

"Get off my girlfriend!" Tk freaked out trying to separate his brother from Kari.

"Shut-up!" Matt yelled at him while trying to declaw Kari's fingers from around his neck. I stood up and ran at Matt. Kari screamed, as she was still pin under Matt.

Matt managed to outwit me; he threw his foot in the air at the last minute. My stomach hit his foot and I went sailing over him and Kari both, landing upside down on the love seat.

"Izzy! Joe! Do something!" Mimi was screaming and pulling at her braids.

"I am a genius Mims. This means that I am intelligent enough not to get caught up in the mist of a dispute where I would fail at miserably." Izzy shook his head and took another swing at his beer bottle.

"If I get involved, who will fix me up? No, I need to stay out of this one and heal the injured." Joe picked up the book and walked to an empty corner of the room.

"MEN!" Mimi stomped her foot and crossed her arms over her chest.

"Knock it off!" Sora yelled from a safe distant. "I bet you two don't even remember why you are fighting!"

"He hit me!" Matt pointed at me.

"He jumped me!" I pointed back, still upside down on the sofa.

"Because you attacked my brother!" Matt accused.

"He bit her!" I shouted.

"She liked it!" He shouted back at me.

"Take it back!" I roared, flipping back over the sofa. "Whoa…" The room started to move beneath my feet. Finally and more quickly then it seemed, I attacked Matt. I shot at him as I learnt while playing football; I tackled him at the waist, sending him on his backside. This time I was on top of him!

"Get off me!" He took Joe's book out of his hands and bounced it off my head.

"HEY!" Joe yelled, trying to grab his book again.

"I bet that's the closest a book ever each him," Izzy smirked.

Sora took the fire extinguisher off the wall and started to spray anything that moved. When the cloud of white substance faded down, we all looked like we were stuck in an avalanche. Joe took off his glasses; a huge round ring of clean flesh was visible. Davis had foam oozing out of his mouth, which we were able to laugh about it later in life. Kari kept sliding as she tried to stand and Tk was trying to hold her up, which sent them both falling to the ground again. I stood up and looked at my surroundings. Everything had a white film covering it. The sofa, the love seat, books that Joe was reading, beer bottles thrown everywhere. The coffee table was turned over on it's side. Matt was wiping blood from his lip. I touched my hand to my own face and found traces of blood flowing from where the book hit me….or maybe it was when I hit the coffee table.

"I hope you two are satisfied!" Sora threw down the fire extinguisher. "Not only were you two able to relapse into eleven year old boys but you wrecked this place!"

I wanted to add that she didn't help any; I wanted to remind her that she covered the place in white marshmallowish stuff. I glanced over at Matt who still sat on the floor, staring at the bottom of the sofa fabric. I looked over my shoulder for Kari who seemed to be tangled up with Tk. Both had stop trying to struggle up off the floor while Sora was yelling at everyone. No one said a word, no one looked Sora in the eye. Even Mimi who didn't do anything but pull her own braids stood silently.

"Now," Sora shifted her pose, "if you think you are all finished fighting," She said the word 'fighting' with a louder tone, "you will help me clean up this place to make it at the very least presentable for when we wake up tomorrow morning! Then," Oh no…she was looking at me and Matt! "You two boys will finish cleaning up the rest of the house!"

"Tk needs to stay away from Kari!" I pointed down to the blond hair boy.

"Tai!" Kari struggling to stand up again, tears were following down her face. "I hate…"she fell. Tk started to help her up again.

"Keep your hands off her!" I shouted at him.

"I hate yo…" Kari fell again.

"I think she's trying to say that she hates you," Davis peeked around the corner of a chair.

"She doesn't hate me!" I looked down at her tear stricken face, "Do you?" Nothing. My sister hates me! I glanced over at Matt who was still looking at the same blasted spot on the sofa. I glanced up at Sora who wore that 'pity' look. Kari finally managed to stand up and storm up the stairs, only tripping a few times from the soles of her shoes being wet.

"Why doesn't she have to help clean up!" Izzy stood up from his chair.

"How many of those did you have?" Sora pointed to Izzy's hand.

"Dunno," Izzy shrugged.

"OMG! DID YOU HEAR THAT!" Mimi slammed her hand over her heart, "He said 'dunno'!"

No one said a word, I kept looking up at the stairs. Little white foam prints lead up stairs to where Kari sat in her room.

"Go talk to her," Sora said softly as she started to throw beer bottles away, "Matt would you get up!"

I walked pass Matt, who was still staring at the sofa fabric, I walked pass the broken glass that littered the floor and I followed those little foamy footprints right up to Kari's door. I could hear her crying from the hallway and I slowly touched the door knob and for once in my life, I thought about it before I had done it. Instead I knocked on the door.

"Kari?" I said softly.

"Go away!" She cried. I knew she was going to say that. All the girls say that in the movies, "Go away or go to hell Tai! I don't care which but don't you dare come in!" Um…well they don't always add that to the end of the scene. I took a deep breath and pulled the door open only to have a pillow thrown at my face. "I told you not to come in! Are you stupid that you don't understand a simple request or maybe you just don't care!" Her eyes were rimmed with tears, her nose red from crying so hard.

"I um.." I picked the pillow up and walk to her bed, "I just wanted to talk." I said softly, sitting next to her on the bed. "I mean to apologies. I guess I let my mind get carried away."

"You think!" Kari sniffled.

"You have to understand though! I had always looked after you! It's my job as an older brother to protect you as well as I can. It's something that I like to do," I told her, picking at her pillow.

"I don't need protection. It's TK for crying sakes!" She grabbed the pillow from me.

"I know…but I know Matt and you know the saying, the apple doesn't fall far from the tree."

"Tai, that only applies to parents and their children. Matt is not Tk's father and Tk is not like Matt. Besides, Matt loves Sora!" I didn't want to tell her how many times I've pulled Matt off of a girl while he was dating Sora.

"I know…" It was best if I just kept my mouth shut. "It's just…well I love you and you mean everything to me. I don't want anything bad happen to you and if there is a way that I can prevent it, I'm going to. You can't hate me for loving you, you're my little sis! People will come and go out of our lives but you and me, we will always be there for each other, right? And no matter who you choose to be your boyfriend or even your husband, he will never be good enough for you in my eyes. There isn't a soul out there that will be good enough for you. So, here I am. Trying to swallow my tongue every time some guy glances at you, every time you flirt. I try, I really do try Kari but," I looked at her, I looked straight in her eyes, "I will try harder for you. I will learn to let you date who you want to date. I only ask that you be patient with me." I gave her the best puppy dog eyes I could, "Don't hate me." She wiped her tears again and wrapped her arms around my neck.

"I don't really hate you!" She cried softly.

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-cheers!


	12. Good Morning!

Sarflame: thanks for your review and for that Jyoumi comment.

Kamiya & Miss Taken: Also thank you for your reviews and I hope I can continue to hold your attention through out the chapters.

Digihope: I too enjoyed season 1 more then the others.

And at last Jyoumi: Once again (since you don't seem to grasp it) I do not care what you think. Why in the world would you think that I would?This is a story and everyone's life will continue. Digimon is not real and my story has no effect on the show. I don't know what your problem is, I'm sure the medical term is just as hard to pronounceas it is to spell but you really need to visit reality once in awhile. You might even enjoy it! Cheers!

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I knew it was morning because of the birds whistling, the sunlight shining in my face, the thick dry taste in my mouth…I don't want to get up! What's making me anyhow? I am on vacation! According to all vacation rules to the unemployed high school students, I have to sleep in until noon! It's not noon it's… Ah, there is the clock! Hell it's noon! I placed my hands in front of my face and slowly open my eyes. So far, so good! Slowly I spread my fingers to allow the smallest light through, blinking rapidly as I did so. If you ever woke up with a hang over you will realise that light is your first enemy. Slowly I sat up on the bed, allowing my feet to touch the warm floor. My head felt like it belonged to someone else and I was merely holding it for them. With some difficult, I was manage to actually stand up and take baby steps to the door.

That's when a burp hit me. It came up slowly from my stomach, sticking into my throat before escaping out my mouth in a foul odour. The burning, pukish kind of flavour burp lingered in my mouth as an aftertaste. I bounced towards the bathroom, there was a body lying in my path but I managed to jump over it only to collide into the wall. Pushing myself off the wall in a rebound, I continued to race towards the bathroom. A race against my own stomach. I tripped over a shoe or something similar to a shoe, I wasn't sure if there was nothing attached to it are not. I crawled into a run, slamming against the locked bathroom door.

"I'm in here!" a weary voice said from the other side. It was occupied, so naturally I pounded on the door.

"I need to use the bathroom!" I screamed against the door, still slamming it with my fist.

"You can't when I'm using it! Go down stairs and use that one!" the evil voice said from the other side of my designation. Ah, the down stairs bathroom had a toilet also! I could use that one! I am a genius at times! I went back down the hall remembering to jump over the shoe but I tripped over the body. I crawled over the body and lift its head by the thick hair; it was Tk. Passed out beside the closet. I didn't ponder on his welfare now; I had to use the bathroom! Scrambling up and almost back down on my face, I was able to break free from Tk's corpse and finish my sprint, towards the stairs! Around the corner I raced, sliding in someone else puke, which almost made me hurl right there. I slammed my back against the wall and covered my mouth and nose. Getting my cool back, I took a deep breath with what little air I had cupped into the palm of my hand and jumped over the puke, trying not to see what substance made up the alien blob. I started down the stairs, jumping the last five steps; I turn to use the bathroom beside the staircase. I flung open the door to find Izzy in a very affection embrace with the toliet bowl.

"Sorry…Ta" Izzy started his hacking and a rancid smell filled my precious air, I had to get out of here! I ran towards the only other option, the great out doors. There would be no one to stop me, I will finally get my relief!

"That's really gross," a voice from behind me gagging.

"Excuse me!" I wiped some puke off my face.

"Couldn't you have gone further away from the cabin to…um, do your business?" the voice sighed, "Right off the step, do you know how many people are going to be stepping in that? It's going to attract all kinds of insects and other bacteria. The whole cabin will come down with an illness and before our last week of vacation is over, we all will be too miserable to enjoy it. All stuffed up in out rooms sick and near deathbed, we will hate each other before vacation is through. The bickering will start; the little petty stuff we have been trying so hard to avoid will be constantly brought up. Everyone will feel grumpy and then, after vacation is over…after we are all at home…after we had a week to think about all of this, we will feel guilty. Which then someone will think it would be a really good thing to have another friendly reunion!"

That voice belong to no other then Joe. Joe, the one who didn't but should have, drunk last night. Joe, the one with out the hang over. Joe, the one who didn't race through a hallway of obstacles to reach two, not one but TWO, bathrooms that were occupied just so he could relieve the volcano that lingered in his stomach. No, not Joe but I went through that and I did it with out puking in the hallway as someone else did! I don't think Joe has any idea how fortunate we were that I didn't go inside the cabin!

"I'll cover it up in dirt!" I hissed.

"Whatever," Joe shrugged.

"What do you mean "Whatever?" I'll clean it up; I said I would so I'll do it!" I glared.

"Calm down," Joe shook his head, "You're a grouch with a hang over."

"I do not get grouchy! Matt is grouchy, I am not! Do you know why I am not? Because I am not Matt!" I nodded my head, which hurt like hell.

"Fine!" Joe held up his hands.

"FINE!" I yelled, only to wince and hold my hands to my head.

"Yes, Tai isn't grouchy." I smiled up at my best friend, "He's a drama king when he's sobering up!" Sora smiled down at me. I hate her now. I will hate her until my hangover vanishes. She however does not seem affected by last night alcohol.

I rolled my eyes and went in search of a safe place for my insides to settle. There is was, under the shade tree, the pinic tables! I carefully walked over to the tables, my vision still out of whack made the world feel like I was walking on some kind of sponge. The corner of my eye I caught sight of Sora following behind me.

"Feeling alright?" She asking, taking a seat across from me. I let my head fall hard on my crossed arms.

"Do I look like I'm feeling fine?" I mumbled.

"Just asking…." She said softly.

"Where is your boyfriend?" I peeked at her with one eye.

"Matt?"

"How many boyfriends do you have?" I asked, raising my head up the rest of the way.

"Oh, well he's still in bed, sort of." Sora shrugged.

"Sorta?" I asked.

"He's sleeping under the bed. Don't even ask me why!" Sora glared at me. I kept staring with a smirk on my face. "What?" She glared back at me.

"You know what," I shrugged.

"I can't believe you would think…"

"I don't have to think about it," I held up my hands to ward off the bad vibes, "You totally hog the bed."

"I do not!"

"For someone as small as you are, you give no one else a place to sleep. Some how you end up strenching your arms out to touch each top corner of the bed and then you spread your legs so your feet touch the other corners! You gave the boy no choice but to sleep on the floor!"

"Oh you!" Sora stood up, throwing a stick on top of the table, reasons only she could give. "Go wash your face!" With that she stormed off.

Of course, I knew I had to wash my face. I hadn't even had time to brush my teeth, but I raised my hands to my head and felt something flaky come off the side of my head. Looking down at my fingers I noticed it was dry blood. This means, I was bleeding but why? My memory faded on what exactly happen to make my head bleed.

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That's all I have for now. Hope it's enough to keep some of you in tune with the story! 


	13. Shower

**_Reiews:_**

To everyone- Sorry I put this off. I really didn't expect to add to it any time soon but I received review that made me think-why not. The writing style is different and to find the correct worlds take a little longer and a little more thought to this story. Hence, why it's has taken longer and why I have put it on the back burning. I plan on finishing all of my stories I just get new ideas and for some odd reason I need to act upon it. Sorry for the delay.

cheers

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**Story:**

Normally I would soak in a shower of lukewarm water during the summer. However, the morning was not a typical summer morning. My stomach ached, I wanted to hurl even though my belly was now a drain pouch. My muscles throb, my throat was hoarse, my tongue felt oddly textured and my mouth tasted as though I just ate some putrid produce. This was far from a normal summer morning. Instead I decided what I needed was to simmer in a nice mist of steaming water. The first second the water reached my exposed skin, it stung but almost instantly, it became an orgasmic bliss as it caressed my flesh, my muscles liquefied with the heated cascade of water that drizzled over by body. I leaned into the wall, allowing the water to have full access to my body. I gave a deep gratifying moan and realize that I did not care who wanted to shower, I was not leaving my beloved ray of water.

Growing up, I have come to grasp that no matter how bad you might be feeling you will feel a tiny bit better once you had a shower. Not as well as the school bus zipping by with out you, but still enough to make you feel somewhat human again. I felt my pain flow off me with the droplets of water, I felt my shoulder slip back into a relax form. I felt…I felt alive again.

"Are you going to be in here all day?" A low voice called from beyond the realm of the shower curtain. As to remind me, there is another world out there.

"Go away!" I yelled, hoping the impostor would leave me to my tranquil new world.

"There are other people who would like a shower Tai," The rumbling voice felt the need to remind me that other people lived beyond the shower of water.

"A few more minutes!" I cried it was all I needed, all I wanted. That wasn't too much to ask for.

"You already had forty-five minutes," the voice started to sound annoyed. Why? I was the one being disturbed.

"I'll be out in a few seconds," I pleaded. This was my paradise! How could anyone ask me to leave it! Suddenly I heard the swish of the toilet bowl being drain. I tried in vain to side step the icy water that splashed out of the shower-headed above me. "DAMN IT! Whatcha do that for!" How dare he ruin my trance!

"I thought I'd get your attention." The thunderous voice was right outside the curtain. "You are using up all the hot water, Tai."

That was it! This alien wanted the sacred water! The water that came from the earth, pulled through the plumping system, ran through the heating tank to flow over my fit masculine body! This was an evil person. "GO AWAY AND LEAVE ME ALONE!" I believe I made myself perfectly clear. I was not going to allow this…this person to take over my shower!

Another flush of the toilet. Damn this meddling being! I pulled back the curtain, staring into those evil blue eyes. "What the hell is your problem Blondie?"

"My name isn't Blondie and I already told you that there are other people who want to use the bathroom!" Matt pointed to Jun, who was giggling, Sora who tried to avoid any part of my naked form, Mimi who beamed, Izzy who looked more embarrassed for me then I could ever feel.

"Oh," I pulled the curtains back to hide behind the wall of the solid blue shield. "Err…I'll be out in a few more minutes!" I smiled back to my lovely spray of water.

"I'm going to kill him," I heard Blondie storm out of the bathroom.

"Now what did my brother do?" Kari, who I have to admit I was delighted to miss the view of my body, must have just entered into the scene.

"Tai is using up the hot water," Sora sighed.

"Try flushing the toilet?" My sister asked.

"Matt did a few times," Izzy spoke up.

"After what I just seen, I'll be fine with a cold shower instead," Mimi voiced. I reached over the shower curtain and wave at her, thanking her for understand real beauty when she saw it.

"That was…" June's voice sounded a bit uneven. "A cold shower does sound good."

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The water went stale, it would flow no more hot water through the pipes to relax my body. After drying off, I dressed and headed for the down stair rooms. I bypassed the kitchen; there was no way I was going to eat with the hang-over still lurking inside of me. I did find Izzy playing chess with Joe in the entertainment room.

"Hey," I bounced next to Joe on the love chair, who in turn gave me evil looks. "Who's winning?" I hated chess but it seemed like a good way to start a conversation.

"No one," Izzy mumbled, looking down at the pieces.

"Who's who?" I asked.

"I'm black he's white," Joe told me, not taking his eye off the board. I could not understand why, it wasn't as the pieces were going to move by themselves. However, it was very cool when it did so in the movies.

"Where is everyone?" I asked, looking over the sofa, expecting someone to pop up from behind it.

"Out and about," Joe mumbled, his finger seems to be stuck between his top lip and his bottom lip.

"Out and about where?" I continued to ask my mind bobbling questions..

"Outside somewhere," Izzy sighed.

Ah, now we are getting somewhere! "Who's out there and where did they go?"

"I don't know. Mimi, Jun, Kari, Tk and Davis went horseback riding. I think Matt went to the hot springs with Sora, considering you used up all the hot water." Joe glanced over at my way.

"It's not my fault the inventor didn't think that people would spend over an hour in the shower." I shrugged. To think these inventers are called geniuses!


	14. Evil Sun

**Reviews:**

**JyouraKoumi** Thanks. This next one is a bit mushy. Not very proud of it but it'll get me to the next chapter.

**Rayana Wolfer**: I'm glad you liked the shower or...the Tai exposure. Yes Jun and Tai...we'll see.

Cheers

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**Story:**

The hot glaring sun above me kept beaming down upon my brown eyes. I tried to shield my tender orbs; however, the sun found a way to slide its rays below my out stretched hand. I tried to seek shelter, wherever I went the sun seem to follow. It would not be so bad if it was, "I got your back dude" approach, instead it was a "You're going to burn boy!"

"I've got sun block so leave me the hell alone!" I held my fist to the sun in threat.

"You okay?" a voice came from behind me.

"Oh, hey Jun." I smiled at the tall thin girl. "Whatcha' up too? I thought you were going horse back riding with some of the others."

"Have you spent time with my brother?" She raised her eyebrows up. "My parents asked me to come along to help watch him but they did not say I had to hold his hand."

"Sorry…" I shook my head.

"No I'm sorry," She sighed, finding a place at the picnic tables. "I don't mean to be bitchy or anything it's just that…" She shrugged off her sentence.

"Just what?" I asked, taking a seat beside her.

"Did you ever feel that life was zooming by you," She turned her knees towards me, in fact her whole body turned in my direction. "I mean everyone around me seem to be moving along gracefully and here I am still stuck in the same place I was two years ago." She threw her hands up in the air. "Forget, I don't even know what I'm saying." She started to get up but I grasped her hand quickly and pulled her back down.

"Don't," I said. "I know exactly what you mean. That is the whole reason I planned this camping trip. It seemed that everyone was growing up and here I still wanted to play, as the world was a game. Everyone become so adultish, it scared me. I didn't know who anyone was anymore…I panicked."

"Yeah?" She looked into my eyes. Why did she have to do that? I never noticed her eyes before. The shade of light brown maple syrup. Mmm…syrup and pancakes could go down so very well…wait hangover! Can't do it…

"Tai are you listing to me?" Jun looked at me with some concern.

"Sorry, I'm a little out of whack still from last night's party." I smiled at her, gave her my best charming smile so she would forget to ask me what she had just said.

"Oh," She said that so beautiful. I am blaming this very moment on the alcoholic that must still be lingering in my system.

"Don't they make you sick?" I glanced over at Matt and Sora who just appeared from the woods, soaking wet from their swim no doubt. Matt had his arm around Sora's neck and she had just punched his chest in a play. "All lovely dovie."

"I think it's cute," Jun watched her obsession and Sora walk in front of us in the distance. Never once did they look up to see us. They were lost in their own world and now it was just them. It didn't really make me sick, more envious if anything. I wonder if Sora would look at Matt the same way if she knew that I had just pulled him off another girl only a few weeks ago. I wanted to tell her but I wanted to do so for all the wrong reasons, hence I kept my mouth shut. Now, I am glad I did. With out the music career stressing him out and the late night parties, Matt seem to be getting his focus back, to know what was important in his life and what he had put at risk. He was happy again and my abducting him started to make sense to the both of us. "I always wished that I was linked in his world," The girl beside me kept talking. "All that attention. Everyone wants to be him or be loved by him. I would always picture myself marring him, having his kids, being with him in the spotlight. Even now, I wish I were in Sora's place. Don't get me wrong, I'm happy for her and I wish them the best, but once in awhile I…"

"Want to be wanted?" I looked over at her.

"Yeah," she nodded her head. "I want to be wanted, I want to be loved. Maybe not in the spotlight of the world but in someone's spotlight. To be all they ever wanted, you know?"

"Sure, everyone feels that way." I smiled weakly at her, "I use to feel the same way about being him. You know, being up there in stage and having everyone scream your name was so appealing. I am fortunate however, I am linked to his world and you know it isn't very great. He started out just putting sounds together, and then linking words with it. He made music and he loves it, his passion came so easily. After while, people started to pull him apart, you know. Telling him where he was to go, what he was to say, when he was suppose to say it. He was even supposed to keep his relationship with Sora a secret. Everything kept piling on top of him and he took it every time with out a word. I think he started to forget who he was or maybe he started to hate who he had become, what he allowed others to make him. I don't know. One day he just didn't seem to care anymore. Matt started to pick fights with Sora and his father more often and he would even snap at me. That is when I decided that I was the only one who would look after him, not because of his fame but because he is my friend. He had to get away from all of that."

"And you made sure he did," Jun smiled at me. She has a great smile, so sincere.

"Yeah, I did. He was pissed at first but he had little choice. His father was even behind it, cancelled all of his engagements." I smiled back.

"Davis was right then," Jun blushed, "You are a good person to have on your side." She bumped her shoulder with mine in a friendly manner.

"He said that?" I asked softly, not really caring what her answer was really. I was drawn to her mouth. She had beautiful heart shape lips, so full and….Wait there I was again. Why did I keep thinking these things!


	15. A break

**REVIEWS:**

mysticalruby,

JyouraKoumi,

Rayana Wolfer

Thank you three for the reviews. For sticking to this story when I didn't even. I hope you enjoy the last chapter, the end of the story.

Cheers

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**Story:**

The next two days went by rather peacefully. Everyone seems to be doing their own thing, which was what I did not want them to be doing. I wanted us to do things together. We did however have a nice lunch that Mimi had managed to cook for us. The picnic table were completely full of food; we had to actually eat at another table.

I glanced around the table, watching my friends settle down with their food. Mimi had a lot of salad with some kind of meat sliced in it. Tk had sloppy joes and potato chips with pickles. Joe was eating potato salad and a hamburger. Sora couldn't make up her mind and had the sloppy joe and a hot dog. Lucky for her, she is athletic and doesn't put on the pounds. I am not sure what Davis was eating, he drowned it in ketchup. Matt seem more interested in having Sora then his lunch, he couldn't keep his hands off her and I do not mean in the obscene way. He sat side ways on the bench facing her and he kept rubbing her back, or lightly touches on her arm. I had even seen him pull back a few strains of hair and tuck them behind her eye. He kept whispering things to her that made her grin and blush. I glanced at Jun who also notices this behaviour; she turned to look at me with sad eyes.

"You know what I was thinking?" Davis splattered half of his food out of his mouth.

"I doubt we would want to know," Tk munched on his lunch.

"Shut of KR!" Davis hissed.

"BR?" Matt took his eyes off of Sora to look at my little minion. "How did you get that out of TK?"

"Never mind about that," Davis kept going, "I found a sled in the shed."

"How nice for you," Tk rolled his eyes.

"Just listen!" Davis glared, "I had this idea…"

"Great there goes the world as we know it," Jun rolled her eyes.

Davis glared at her for a moment before continuing with his story, "I thought that we could mud slick that hill by the pond. Then slid down it right into the pound." He looked around, waiting.

"There is that path up the slope," Matt said slowly, his hand making small circles on the small of Sora's back and his chin rested on her shoulder, "It is pretty well manageable, kind of smooth. I think there are few rocks we could easily remove less then twenty minutes."

"It is a bad idea, someone is going to get hurt,'' Joe interrupted.

"I did observe that we have five garden hoses in the shed as well," Izzy laid his sandwich down on the plate, "If my calculations are right, which I am sure they are, the connections should effortlessly reach far enough up the path to allow us this pleasure."

"We could have a continuous water flow," I grew excited.

"I have to agree with Joe,'' Mimi shook her head, "It doesn't sound like this is a good idea. Do you know how hard it is to get mud out of your hair?"

"I thought mud was good for your skin," Kari inquired.

"Not that kind of mud!" Mimi's eyes grew large.

"It's a straight shot to the pond," Matt pointed out, "No turns."

"A mud slide," I sighed, "Sounds great."

"We could get started now!" Davis stood up and the other boys followed suit.

"What about lunch?" Mimi cried.

"Err…" Everyone glanced at each other.

"Let them go play, Mims." Sora smiled, "I'll help clear up things."

"That is not the point!" Mimi pouted but I was already headed up the path to toss rocks off to the side. Matt was right behind me. Izzy took care of the hose connections. Tk and Davis decided to get along enough to cover the base of the path, making sure there were no obstacles in the way.

* * *

Four hours later, we were ready. It was more difficult then we first thought. We did several test runs with a sack of potatoes Matt stole from the cabin. After the first run, we realize we would have to dig out a cradle for the sled, smooth it down to keep water flow. In the end, the mud was deep enough to cover our shoes. Another test run made us realise that we would have to spray the bottom of the sled water, to slick it for the run. It worked for a while, but on the forth run, the sack of potatoes stuck half way down. That is when we moved to criso oil. We oiled the bottom of the sled and to our delight, it worked! 

Davis took honours to be the first one down. The rest of us thought that it would be easier to explain any mishaps by throwing his name into the story. I am sure anyone who puts Davis, sled, mud together would completely understand and to Davis' delight, my sister was down below waving my red shirt in the air, cheering us on.

Matt gave Davis a hard push on the long sled and that boy flew down the slop. He did hit a small bump somewhere and went air borne for a split seconds, landing hard and actually turning side ways the rest of the way down the hill. He skidded over the top of the water a few time before it sunk. Davis stood up, grinning and holding the sled up in the air in trumpet.

Izzy went down next; he hit the bump and almost fell off when he landed. Somehow, he kept it straightforward but once he hit the water, he then took a tumble but came up smiling.

Tk went next; the smart ass grabbed Kari at the bottom, taking her into the pond with him. She screamed the whole time but, as Davis had done, she was smiling ear to ear. As Tk tromped up the slop, I made sure I gave him a cold glare. I saw where his hands were, there was no need to grab her butt.

I rolled my eyes when Sora talked Matt into going down with her. The sled was long enough for him to keep his legs, although slightly bent, she settled between his legs and they were off. When they hit the water, the sled skidded sideway before unloading its burden into the muddy water. Matt came up rubbing his soaking wet hair and Sora was laughing.

Then it was my turn, I had to show off. I balanced the sled on the slope, took a few steps back and ran forward, slammed my body onto the sled, getting enough force to speed down the pathway. I hit the bump, sending me half way down the pathway before reaching the bottom where I skidded further then the rest into the pond.

"WHOOO!" I raised my hands in the air.

"You are going to kill yourself!" Matt yelled down.

"But not today!" I yelled up.

Mimi and Joe even took a turn, which surprised everyone. We all took our turns good naturally. Davis and I were trying to out shine each other, taking turns thinking up new movies. The whole group wore mud caking onto their bodies, but we were all smiling. Until…

"Davis, what is that on your leg?" Matt pointed to the back of Davis's calf.

"Um…" Davis kept turning different ways trying to looking behind him. "I dunno."

"It's a slug," Kari wrinkled her nose.

"I don't think so…" Matt frowned as Joe bent down to examine it.

"It's a leech." Joe confirms what I thought it looked like.

"I'm being sucked dry!" Davis cried.

"Enjoy it now; it's the only time anything is going to suck on you…" Matt winked at Davis, Tk laughed and Davis grew furious.

"That's not true! There are plenty of people who want to suck me…" Davis frowned and looked around at us. "Err…I didn't mean that."

"How do we get it off of him?" Kari leaned down to examine the leech.

"Rubbing alcohol will help." Joe shrugged, "It really isn't a big deal."

"Yeah you're not the one getting a hickey from a parasite," Davis frowned.

"I bet he is," Matt quirked up an eyebrow. "We all went into the low end of the pond…" Matt proceeded to take of his shirt. Sure enough, he had a leech sucking on his rib cage. Tk grimance but left up his shirt, to poke his new found friend.

"OH MY GOD!" Mimi started screaming, checking herself. "Oh, I don't have any." She smiled.

Sora slowly walked up to her and moved her hair away from Mimi's bare back, "Don't worry Mimi, they don't leave a scar."

"WHAT!" Mimi started crying, "Get it off!"

"Calm down…" Sora said.

Mimi started crying, trying to reach her back and dancing around at the same time. I am not sure what happen after that but I woke up at the bottom of the hill, Matt staring down at me.

"Hey, how you doing?" Matt asked softly. At once, I noticed 'how are you doing,' not 'are you okay'.

"What happen?" I asked while trying to move but a flair of pain shot up the length of my leg.

"Mimi knocked you into the sled. You kind of went down wrong…" Matt looked over towards the cabin and back to me. I notice that he had a mixture of mud and blood on his face and hands.

"Where is everyone else?" I asked, trying to sit up.

"Just lay back," Matt put his hand on my chest.

"Easy for you to say, you're not laying on a rock." I tried to wiggle but that pain in my leg was too great. "OW! Damn it." Then I froze, I tried to move my leg but all it did was send an unbearable pain through out my body.

"Don't Tai. Just lay back," He said softly.

"Where is everyone else?" I asked, "Where is Kari?"

"She's in the cabin calling your parents;" Matt smiled gently, "Joe is getting into touch with the emergency camp centre."

"Matt," I focused onto him.

"Huh?"

"Your bleeding, right here." I pointed to my forehead.

He wiped at his own and shrugged, "Just a scratch."

"Matt."

"Huh?"

"My leg is killing me," I whined.

"I bet it is," Matt relaxed beside me, sitting his ass in the mud.

"How bad is it?"

"I don't know but Joe looked concern." Matt shrugged, looking down at my leg, which I could not see.

"How bad do YOU think it is?" I asked him.

"It looks bad Tai," Matt said honestly. "You're bleeding a little but Joe said not to touch your leg." My pointed to my jeans, " It's broken, that I am sure about."

I groan, my soccer games! I had been on crutches once before from a broken leg and that almost killed me! Never had I even been so bored!

"This isn't how I wanted my summer to end!" I but my hands through my hair, sleeking it back with mud.

"Maybe not but you got what you wanted," Matt grinned.

"Did I?"

"Sure, you got us all together Tai." Matt patted my shoulder. "You had woken me up. I forgot what I had." I knew he was referring to his relationship with Sora and maybe with the others. He forgot who his friends were, took us for granted.

"You still are going to be an astronaut?" I asked.

"Hell yeah," Matt quirked up an eyebrow.

"No way to talk you out of it?"

"Nope."

"What if I locked you in a room painted like the moon for a few months?" I felt sleepy.

"I don't think so," Matt said softly. I felt cold and tired. I could feel my body relaxing into the mud, going deeper as it oozed around me. My eyelids grew heavy but I remember hearing Matt talk to an unfamiliar voice.

When I woke up, my leg was up in a sling with a cast around it. It still hurt, felt like it was trapped, trying to swell within the white hard shell.

My mother was on the chair next to me, her head on my father's shoulder. He was rubbing her arm up and down. Kari was on my other side, reading some kind of book.

"Hey sport," My father must have notice that I was actually awake, "How are you feeling?"

"I'd love some pain killers," I mumbled.

"I'm sure." He smiled softly, placing his hand on my arm. "What the hell were you kids thinking?"

"What do you mean?"

"He's talking about the mud slide," Kari leaned forward. "I told him it was Davis idea and…"

"This makes it worse. I thought you knew not to listen to that boy and his ideas."

"But it worked!" I argued.

"Look at you," my father, pointed to my leg.

"It wasn't because of the slid," I sighed, "It was because of the leeches…"

"Which I had four," Kari made a face.

"Did I have any?"

"Yea but only two. One you your stomach and one on you arm." Kari shrugged. "Mimi had only that one but it was huge!"

"Did you keep it?" I asked.

"No…" Kari gave me a funny look.

"Did she have the biggest?"

"Oh yeah, that was the momma, I swear." Kari puffed out her cheeks and whistled.

"Hey I got flowers!" I finally took notice to the room filled with all sorts of flowers.

"Oh yeah," Kari giggled, "Those pinks ones are from Sora and Mimi. Those orange ones are from your kiddie soccer you help with. Oh and Davis and Jun sent you the one with the balloon. Matt sent candy…"

"Did he eat any?" I asked, taking the box of chocolate from her and examine them.

"I don't know…" Kari glanced at our mom.

"Honey…" Mom tried to take the box from me.

"NO!" I growled at her. I am chocolate aggressive, I cannot help it. I blame it on mother, always taking the 'real' sweets from us as we were growing up.

"He'll bite," Kari, warned her.

"Tai you'll ruin your appetite," mom warned me.

"Honey let him eat some," my father spoke up. "Not like he is actually missing anything." He made a disgusting look at the hospital food. Secretly, I thought it looked better then mom's food.

* * *

When I was able to come home, I had a small welcome party waiting for me. Tk and Davis circled Kari. Mimi had her arms around Joe's waist to my suprise. From another sourse, I later learned that the "unleeching" of Mimi made Joe realise just how much he liked her. Matt had his arms around Sora and it didn't look like he was going to let go anytime soon. Jun seem to stand apart from everyone, however it was my illusion. For the first time, I found myself looking at her more then Davis sister, more then a former rock star stalker. For the first time, I notice Jun for the girl she really is and what she allowed me to see. We made eye contact, she blushed a little but didn't look down. More flowers, more chocolate and more importantly, I had my friends. Time is changing for us. I can't stop it, I can't roll back the timebut I briefly gain control of it and I learned from it.I glanced at Jun, who returned a warm smile. Maybe change isn't all that bad. After all, it isn't the end just the beginning of a new chapter in my life and I can't wait to start it. 

**_The End_**


End file.
